Andy Murray given Queen's wildcard ahead of Wimbledon
In an interesting development, former British number one tennis star Andy Murray has been offered a wildcard to play at Queen's Club next month ahead of the 2019 edition of Wimbledon. However, Murray is not decided on whether he will take the offer or not. The 31-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion had undergone a hip surgery in January. Here's more on the same.
A lot depends on Murray's fitness
Back in March, Murray had pegged his chances of playing in this year's Wimbledon singles at "less than 50%". Moreover, he has not played competitively ever since. The Fever-Tree Championships at Queen's in London is set to start from June 17 onwards. The grass-court event is two weeks before Wimbledon 2019. But a lot would depend on his fitness.
'Wildcard is being held in reserve for Murray'
"A wildcard is being held in reserve for Murray, who will let tournament director Stephen Farrow know nearer the time of the event if he is fit enough to take it," said a statement from Queen's.
Murray, who had a hip resurfacing operation, is now pain-free
Murray, currently ranked 217 in the world, had a hip resurfacing operation in London in January this year. The star has stated that he is now pain-free, although he has only been hitting balls from a stationary position. The official deadline to apply for a wildcard for this year's Wimbledon is June 18. Although there might be some wiggle room for Murray.
Will Murray be able to feature on the tennis court?
Earlier, Murray had broken down in tears at the Australian Open, saying in a news conference that he planned to retire after the Wimbledon because of pain in his hip. However, he later stated that the Australian Open could be his last. Although, he had a successful surgery, playing tennis could be difficult especially singles tournament. Overall, things look difficult for Murray.
