By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 9, 2019
Former world No. 1 Andy Murray has accepted a wild card into Cincinnati for his first singles appearance since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January.
Photo credit: Fever-Tree Championships Facebook
Andy Murray will return to the singles scene in Cincinnati next week.
The former world No. 1 has received a wild card into the singles draw for the Western & Southern Open.
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It will be Murray's first singles appearances since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery following the Australian Open in January.
Murray is a two-time Cincinnati champion, raising the title in 2008 and 2011.
The two-time Olympic gold medal singles champions launched a successful doubles comeback in June, partnering Feliciano Lopez to the Queen's Club doubles championship.
The 32-year-old Murray's last singles match was a painful five-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in the Australian Open opening round. A tearful Murray looked anguished as he walked off the court that night, but has been pleased with his progress from hip surgery.
"Good news for the sport," said Rafa Nadal when asked about Murray's singles comeback. "Especially great news for him. That means that he's healthy. That's going to be a big, big moment for him.
"After all the retirement that he predicted in Australia, was this year, six months later seems like he's back again, healthy, competing well. That's going to be a big thing for him. Happy."
Joining Murray as men's wild-card recipients are New York Open champion Reilly Opelka, former Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querry and Juan Ignacio Londero.
Women's wild cards were awarded to two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, Alison Riske and Bernarda Parra.
The three-time Grand Slam champion's return in the Queen City could be a prelude to a Queens comeback.
In Washington, D.C. last week, Murray told Rennae Stubbs he's hoping to play the US Open singles.
“Best case scenario is that I would play singles at the US Open. If not then doubles and mixed doubles,” Murray told Stubbs.
In qualifying, women’s wild cards have been awarded to Kristie Ahn, CoCo Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Destanee Aiava, while the men’s qualifying wild card recipients are Cincinnati’s JJ Wolf and John McNally as well as Sebastian Korda and Jack Sock.