Murray's comeback delayed until Thursday after Queen's washout

LONDON: Andy Murray's comeback from hip surgery has been delayed until Thursday after rain washed out the day's play at Queen's Club on Tuesday.

Murray is due to play doubles at Queen's with Spain's Feliciano Lopez as the former world number one returns to action five months after hip surgery.

Murray and Lopez were scheduled to play their first round match at the grass-court event on Wednesday against top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Jean-Julian Rojer.

But the tie had to be put back until Thursday after Lopez's singles match against Marton Fucsovics was one of those which fell foul of Tuesday's weather.

With Lopez now due to play on Wednesday, Murray will have to wait another 24 hours to get back in competitive action.

When the 32-year-old Scot does eventually step back onto a tennis court it will be just 143 days after he underwent the operation in a bid to salvage his career.

The two-time Wimbledon champion tearfully announced at January's Australian Open that it may have to be his last tournament, such was the pain his chronic injury was giving him.

Instead, on January 28, Murray went under the knife and had a metal plate inserted into the joint.

No player has competed in top-level singles after undergoing the hip resurfacing operation, but American Bob Bryan has returned to the doubles circuit.

However, Murray is not reinventing himself as a doubles player and plans to resume his singles career before the end of the year.

"My goal is still to get back to playing singles, ultimately," he said

"Maybe six to eight weeks ago I was chatting with my team about the best way to get back onto the court again, singles-wise.

"We felt doubles would be a good option to test myself out and see how I feel, where there is maybe a bit obviously less loading on the body, less movement, but you still have to make some quick moves and have quick reactions.

"It felt like it was actually a nice progression of the rehab I've been doing and getting back onto the court and see how I feel on a match court playing doubles.

"Then that will give me some information about where I'm at and maybe things I need to improve or whatever."