London: Former world number one Andy Murray crowned a remarkable return to tennis with victory in the men’s doubles at the Queen’s Club tournament on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Scotsman teamed up with Spanish partner Feliciano Lopez to take a 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 10-5 win over Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram.

The three-time Grand Slam champion’s triumph comes after what he described as “life-changing” hip surgery earlier this year.

“I really enjoyed it. I felt very relaxed at the beginning of the week and was getting more nervous as the week went on and my competitive instincts kicked in,” said Murray.

“My hip felt great, no pain. I’ll try to keep progressing from here but I’m just happy being back on the court.”

Murray — watched by his wife Kim and mother Judy — may be regretting deciding not to play with the 37-year-old Lopez at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard produced a Herculean effort, winning the singles in three sets earlier in the day before playing sublimely in the doubles.

“He (Lopez) was brilliant,” said Murray.

“There’s nothing else to say. It was an amazing win today in the singles and even at the end of the match there he came up with some brilliant returns and serves. Murray will now move on to Eastbourne before playing at Wimbledon where he will be partnered by Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Meanwhile, Ashleigh Barty is honoured to become Australia’s first women’s world number one since Evonne Goolagong Cawley but feels she has a lot more to do to be worthy of comparison with the indigenous great. Goolagong Cawley scaled the peak of the world rankings in 1976 although it only came to light 31 years later after the discovery of an error in the records. Like Goolagong, Barty is proud of her indigenous Australian heritage, with her father having Ngarigo ancestry through one of his grandmothers. “I’m nowhere near her status,” Barty, said of the seven-times Grand Slam champion.

Agencies