Andy Murray was handed the toughest of challenges on his return to ATP Tour action, alongside Feliciano Lopez, in the Fever-Tree Championships doubles draw on Saturday.
Competing for the first time since undergoing right hip surgery on 28 January, Murray and Lopez will face top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in one of many blockbuster first-round clashes at the Queen’s Club.
View Queen’s Club Doubles Draw
Joining Murray and Lopez in the top quarter of the draw are #NextGenATP talents Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur, who face Daniel Evans and Ken Skupski. Juan Martin del Potro is also featuring in the doubles draw, partnering fellow Argentine Horacio Zeballos against defending champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers in the first round. Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, who made their tour-level team debut at the Libema Open, open against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
In the bottom half of the draw, second seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares will meet Lucas Pouille and Stan Wawrinka. Five-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, bidding to lift the trophy for the first time since 2013, face wild cards Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara. The winner of that match will meet defending singles champion Marin Cilic and partner Ivan Dodig or the winning team from the doubles qualifying draw in the second round.
Kubot/Melo Bid For Third Straight Title In Halle
Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo will open their campaign for a third straight NOVENTI OPEN title against Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop. The two-time defending champions are joined in the top half of the draw by Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies and two-time finalists Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev. Kubot and Melo have defeated the Zverev brothers in the past two championship matches in Halle.
Second seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus are aiming to end a 16-month title drought, dating back to last year’s Open 13 Provence. The pair has reached two ATP Tour championship matches this season, with runner-up finishes at the ASB Classic and Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Third seeds Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor will be hoping to add to their title collection, after lifting their first trophy as a team at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April.
