Murray to face Basilashvili in Wimbledon first round

Andy Murray has been drawn to face Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of this year’s Wimbledon championship.

The Scot, who was won the men’s singles twice in SW17, faces a tough task at the tournament after struggling for fitness and form over the last few months. His 29-year-old Georgian opponent is ranked 28th in the world.

Murray is ranked at 124, which is outside the cut-off for direct qualification, and has been handed a wild card entry to the championships. If he defeats Basilashvili, he would play Arthur Rinderknech or Oscar Otte in the second round, with world number 12 Denis Shapolov a possible third round opponent.

A series of injuries, and the cancellation of last year’s competition, mean that Murray has not played at Wimbledon since 2017. The Scot missed the French Open last month to tailor his schedule in order to have the best chance of competing in London.

Murray confirmed this week that he is to compete at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. After winning gold at the last two Games, he said he was looking forward to defending his title.

He said: “The Olympics means a huge amount to me, it’s a massive honour to be able to compete at a fourth Games. Leading Team GB out at the Opening Ceremony five years ago in Rio was one of the highlights of my career. Going to a second Olympics as defending champion is exciting and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Wimbledon 2021 will begin on Monday, June 28.