Queen's Club Championships, RECAP - Andy Murray returns to tennis action in men's double clash in London

  • Andy Murray returned to action 142 days after successful hip operation today
  • He and Feliciano Lopez beat Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal 7-6, 6-3 
  • Murray played competitively for first time since defeat at Australian Open 

Andy Murray marked his return to competitive tennis with victory at Queen's on Thursday.

Playing for the first time since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January, Murray looked in fine shape as he and Feliciano Lopez defeat Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal 7-6, 6-3. 

Relive the action with Sportsmail's James Dutton. 


  • James Dutton

    Host commentator

20:20
That's a wrap

And there we have it! Andy Murray is back playing tennis and back winning at tennis. Does it get any better?

He looked in fine fettle out there, and surely a stint at Wimbledon isn't out of the question?

We will see how they get in the remainder of this tournament at Queen's, but for now it's farewell. Catch you soon.

20:18
Murray: 'It was brilliant'

Murray: It was brilliant. I enjoyed it a lot, I was a little bit slow at the beginning but got better as the match went on. I really enjoyed it and I’m very fortunate to be back playing tennis again.

I absolutely love playing on this court, it's a brilliant place to play tennis. I felt relaxed in the build up but I said as I walked up I was beginning to feel a bit nervous now. But that's what you want, you want the nerves and the tension.

Lopez: I want to thank Andy for playing with me this week. It was a nice moment, sharing the court with him. I will not forget this match. I think we played a very good match. Thank you everybody for the support. I know I'm a little more British this week, playing with this gentleman, Sir Andy Murray. Most important thing is he is back healthy again and back on court.

20:12
GAME, SET, MATCH: Lopez/Murray bt Cabal/Farah 7-6, 6-3

Cabal with a clean backhand winner on the full at the baseline and it's 0-15. Shot Murray!

What a winner and what a reaction! Pinball at the net but Murray produces a stupendous backhand winner just as the ball looked to be going past him. Big reaction, huge roar and fist pump. 15-15.

And Lopez with an ace out wide. 30-15. Second serve ace! He went for that! Two match points.

Into the net! And Murray and Lopez are through, huge cheers and a very accomplished return and performance from the former world No 1.

20:08
Cabal/Farah 6-7, 3-5* Lopez/Murray

Farah on serve with the Colombians up against it and serving to stay in the match. Lopez into the net with a forehand and it's three game points.

Taken at the first opportunity by Cabal at the net. Lopez will have to serve it out to win.

20:05
Cabal/Farah 6-7, *2-5 Lopez/Murray

Cabal and Farah go for it now and race to 0-30. Lopez with a huge cry of come on as a volley drops wide. 15-30.

Pressure on Murray's serve now as he exchanges a long chat with his partner. Ace out wide! That chat clearly worked wonders. 30-30.

And they do so well to save the next point. Toing and froing at the net before Murray goes for a lob and sends Cabal scampering back. He then goes over the baseline and it's game point.

Brilliant return from Farah, Murray can only just get it over the net and Cabal fires the winner. It's sudden death. Down the line... wide. And the backhand is long! He had Lopez beaten as he went down the line but it went just too long.

They've had no rub of the green this evening at all.

20:00
Cabal/Farah 6-7, 2-4* Lopez/Murray

Murray quick to respond and his backhand has too much. Into the net from Farah, 0-15.

And a huge forehand winner on Cabal's second serve. Lunges out wide and finds the corner brilliantly. Long from Cabal on the volley as Farah slips over at the net. Three break points...

Shot Murray! Rips a forehand winner down the line and there's a huge roar to greet it. There's the break.

19:57
Cabal/Farah 6-7, *2-3 Lopez/Murray

Murray pleases the crowd with a huge overhead that bounces into the crowd to give him two break points. And then he unleashes a delightful backhand volley winner. Great swivel and a sensational snapped winner. He's looked very speedy and sprightly tonight,

19:55
Cabal/Farah 6-7, 2-2* Lopez/Murray

Farah on serve and that's a super return from Lopez. Reaches with the forehand and finds the corner. Great stretch. 0-15.

Huge chance! Murray returns well to the backhand side and Lopez hits the top of the net on the volley.

But then he clubs a huge forehand winner down the line. 15-30. Ace! 30-30.

Lopez at it again! Ferocious return and it's too much for Cabal at the net. Break point! Big serve down the line. Deuce, but it's a sudden death point.

They leave it! Cabal's shot lands on the line in between the pair and they rescue a hold.

19:49
Cabal/Farah 6-7, *1-2 Lopez/Murray

Murray on serve and they go 0-15 down but Lopez is alert at the net as Murray goes wide with the serve to hammer home the winner.

Big serve out wide and Murray cushions a volleyed winner. His net game has been on point today. 30-15. Long from Farah and two game points. And wide again. Game.

19:47
Cabal/Farah 6-7, 1-1* Lopez/Murray

Lovely backhand winner down the line from Murray but Cabal and Farah hold with ease.

19:44
Cabal/Farah 6-7, *0-1 Lopez/Murray

Lopez serving first here after they broke serve to win the previous set.

Phenomenal from Murray! Brilliant cross-court tickle at the net and then fires the volleyed winner on the reply.

19:43
FIRST SET LOPEZ AND MURRAY

There's the fist clench from Murray that we have come to know oh so well over the years. They have the first set with a huge slice of luck at the net. Can they claim the match?

19:32
TIE BREAK: Cabal/Farah 5-7 Lopez/Murray

Farah serves first. Second serve. Lopez responds into his body and he volleys into the net. Mini break. Tremendous second serve from Lopez, body serve with slice, too fast for Farah and it's 2-0. Murray slams a winner at the net and it's 3-0.

Murray into the net from Cabal. And then he can't quite reach a drop volley.

Murray serves and the lead is gone as he miscues a volley and it spins well wide. 3-3.

Big point coming up now but it's just wide from Murray. Lopez wants to challenge. Just wide. Second serve. Great return from Cabal and Murray can't get it over the net. It's 4-3.

Farah to serve... brilliant return from Murray and Farah fires over the return volley. Back on serve. Net cord winner for Lopez completely foxes Cabal. Huge slice of fortune and it's 5-4.

Murray and Lopez two points from the set... what a recovery from Farah and Cabal! Sensational recovery play. Farah does brilliantly to keep it alive with Murray going hell for leather at the net but his cross-court forehand is picked up and back on serve.

Net cord again! It's set point as Murray gets lucky at the net. And another! Murray wins it with a forehand that clips the net cord and completely floors poor old Cabal.

19:31
TIE BREAK: Cabal/Farah 6-6 Lopez/Murray

Lopez alive at the net to help them to 30-0. Murray tries to go low over the net with a volley but it's too low and hits the cord.

Lopez at the net forces Cabal wide and deep and he goes wide. Overhead from Lopez, winner! It's 6-6.

19:29
Cabal/Farah 6-5* Lopez/Murray

Another hold, to love for the Colombians. We are heading unerringly towards a tie break.

19:26
Cabal/Farah *5-5 Lopez/Murray

Lopez continuing well on his own serve but hits the net and then Cabal dissects Lopez and Murray with a backhand winner.

The Colombians are on the charge but Murray sends them wide at the net and they hit the net in response. They hold! 5-5.

19:22
Cabal/Farah 5-4* Lopez/Murray

Serve is dominating here and Farah continues that theme with an ace past Murray, who then misses out at the net. It's 40-0.

And they hold.

19:20
Cabal/Farah *4-4 Lopez/Murray

Murray back on serve now and Lopez is quick at the net to snap a volley into the ground and over the despairing Farah.

They race into a 30-0 lead before Lopez is beaten at the net, quick reflexes as he duels with Farah but he hits the top of the net.

Murray struggling to zip his first serve over. Lovely cushioned volley in reply to his own serve has Farah scampering and he can't reach it. 40-15.

Another cracking volley followed by another. Murray excelling at the net so far here!

=
19:16
Cabal/Farah 4-3* Lopez/Murray

Delicate at the net from Murray again to get Cabal running wide but Lopez is beaten for speed at the net. 15-0.

Murray on the charge at the back of the court as he runs onto a backhand but hits the net. He keeps the next point alive at the back again, adjusting well to reach a ball way over his head but Farah smashes the winner. And into the net from Murray on return. Another hold.

19:13
Cabal/Farah *3-3 Lopez/Murray

Lopez to serve and there's some fast play at the net. A couple of low volleys from Murray's backhand and he wins it with one guided into the tramlines. Big applause. Ace! 30-0.

And Lopez wraps up with another ace. Lightning fast game.

19:10
Cabal/Farah 3-2* Lopez/Murray

Farah to serve for the Colombians and an ace down the T makes it 30-0. Delicious play by Lopez at the net, delicately chipping wide and into the net from Cabal. 30-15.

Murray finds the net on return and Lopez misses out, another hold of serve.

19:07
Cabal/Farah *2-2 Lopez/Murray

Murray serving and the first return is into the net. They ease into a 40-0 lead but an excellent return winner from Farah down the line, just clips the net cord, and gets them on the board.

Then he's quick at the net to intercept and it's 40-30. Big kick serve out wide and it's returned wide of the tram lines.

19:03
Cabal/Farah 2-1* Lopez/Murray

Murray with a strong forehand deep into the court and into the net on reply. 15-15 and a foothold here perhaps?

Serve sits up and Murray spanks the forehand return but it's into the net, and Lopez goes long. It's a hold.

19:01
Cabal/Farah *1-1 Lopez/Murray

Feliciano Lopez to serve first, Murray at the net. Wide return and then into the net, swiftly 30-0 on serve. And long for 40-0.

And huge cheers as Murray wraps up the game with a backhand volley at the net.

18:59
Cabal/Farah 1-0* Lopez/Murray

Murray receives second, a solid backhand down the line but it's won by Farah and Cabal at the net. 30-0 lead before a stonking Lopez forehand return. 30-15.

Murray can't return out wide and it's an ace to finish the opening game, a hold for the Colombian pair.

18:57
Play to begin

Farah and Cabal get us underway...

18:51
Murray on court!

Huge cheers on Centre Court at Queen's as Murray and his partner Lopez arrive. The anticipation is real!

18:45
Murray on next

Now the anticipation is nearly over. Stefanos Tsitsipas has come from behind to beat Jeremy Chardy and the doubles match between Murray and Feliciano Lopez and Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will get underway shortly...

18:43
Murray's long journey back

It seemed a distant possibility five months ago when Andy Murray broke down in tears as he announced the Australian Open could be his last Grand Slam appearance.

He lost a five set thriller to Roberto Bautista Agut and he appeared to have accepted defeat in the battle against his troublesome hip.

He underwent a hip restructuring operation in January in a bid to improve his quality of life, and keep the option of a sensational return to the sport open.

And here we are. Murray declared he would return to competitive action with a splash of doubles at Queen's. And if this goes well, he'll be on the lush green of SW19 in under a fortnight's time.

18:33
Good evening

Hello and welcome.

Andy Murray is playing a competitive tennis match this evening. Excited?