Andy Murray to play singles in Winston-Salem Open

 Andy Murray will play in the singles at next week`s Winston-Salem Open as he continues his comeback from hip surgery, tournament officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The Scot lost 6-4,6-4 to Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati on Monday in his first singles match since January and later said he would not accept a wild card for the men`s draw at the U.S. Open, the year`s final Grand Slam.

"Andy will be playing singles, but he will not be playing doubles," Bill Oakes, tournament director for the North Carolina event, said by telephone.

"It`s amazing to have a guy who has won three Grand Slams, been ranked number one and may be the fiercest competitor coming to Winston-Salem." 

The tournament starts on Sunday, and Murray, who will not be seeded, could play his first match on Monday, Oakes said, adding that he had met with Murray`s team two weeks ago in Washington and talks had continued this week.

Murray will be making his first appearance in the Winston-Salem tournament, though his brother Jamie has played there.

Murray, who reached the doubles quarter-finals with his partner Feliciano Lopez at the Cincinnati Open, told https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/49367223 the BBC that he would play no part in next month`s U.S. Open in order to focus on his singles game.

"I`m not going to play doubles at the U.S. Open," he said.

"My goal is to get back playing at the level that I want to on the singles court, and I`ve decided that I need to focus all my energies on that right now.

"The US Open, doubles and mixed, can be another couple of weeks that you are slowing things down."