Andy Murray completed his extraordinary comeback to tennis on Sunday evening when the Scot and his partner, Feliciano Lopez, defeated Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram 7-6 (6), 5-7, 10-5 in the Queen’s doubles final.
The victory marked a second title in one day for Lopez, who was crowned singles champion in the afternoon with a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) win against Gilles Simon.
A tense first set saw Murray and Lopez save two set points — one when trailing 5-4 and another in the tiebreak — before clinching the opener 7-6 (6).
The second set was equally close, with both pairs fending off break points until Salisbury and Ram finally secured the first break of serve in the match. A championship tiebreak followed to determine the winners.
The London crowd buoyed a fatigued Lopez, 37, and Murray, who was playing his first tournament since the Australian Open in January. The pair produced a series of fine shots in the championship tiebreak and were able to wrap up the decider 10-5.
“It’s been brilliant, I’ve really enjoyed it,” Murray said of his first competition since undergoing “life-changing” hip surgery earlier this year.
“I felt very relaxed at the beginning of the week and was getting more nervous as the week went on, [but] my competitive instincts kicked in.
“My hip felt great, no pain,” the three-time Grand Slam winner announced to the delight of the London faithful. “I’ll try to keep progressing from here, but I’m just happy being back on the court.”
Murray will play doubles at Wimbledon next month, where the 32-year-old will team up with Pierre-Hugues Herbert. The Scot is still seeking a mixed doubles partner for the Grand Slam.