Andy Murray aims for singles return this year

LONDON (Agencies): Andy Murray hopes to be back on the singles court later this year, but the British former world number one is setting no time limits on his return.

Murray will step up his comeback bid from the hip surgery he underwent in January when he competes in the doubles with Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s Club next week. The 32-year-old then plans to play doubles at Wimbledon, where he has won two of his three singles Grand Slam titles.

However, Murray still expects to take his time before returning to singles action, which probably rules out competing at the US Open at the end of August. “It’s baby steps just now,” said the Scot. “I’m feeling good, pretty much pain-free and enjoying kind of just training, practising, improving all the time just now.

“I don’t think when Wimbledon finishes that I will just step onto the singles court the following week and everything’s good. I still have quite a lot of work to do before I’m at a level where I feel like I’ll be able to be competitive.” Murray, who last played singles at the Australian Open in January, said he had been making consistent progress but he would probably plateau at some stage.

“I hope at some stage this year I would be able to get back to playing singles again,” said Murray, speaking at the launch of a new tennis support scheme in partnership with Amazon Prime at the Queen’s Club in London. “When that is, I’m not really interested in putting a time limit on because I’m quite happy just now so I don’t need to play singles after Wimbledon or at the US Open.

“If I can, that would be brilliant, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I think it’s going to take a bit longer.” Murray has been training with American Frances Tiafoe but has still not fully tested his recovery with any singles practice matches.

“Earlier on I was hitting with singles players but I was more stationary. I was moving them rather than them moving me about. “So, I have not played properly singles-wise yet. I am hoping that will come more after Wimbledon.”