Andy Murray taking ‘opportunity’ as Brit returns to China after skipping Laver Cup

Andy Murray is hoping to use the Zhuhai Championships as an “opportunity” as the tennis tour returns to China for the first time in four years. The world No 41 skipped the Laver Cup to play in this week’s ATP 250 event and is hoping to use it as a springboard for a solid end to the 2023 season.

Murray has had a quick turnaround this week, going from the Davis Cup to Zhuhai for his first tournament of the Asian swing. The 36-year-old was part of Britain’s winning squad over the weekend as the nation booked a spot in the Final 8 of the ‘World Cup of tennis’.

The Brit is straight back to it with regular tour events as he is the seventh seed in Zhuhai where he faces wildcard Ye Cong Mo in the first round. Murray decided to play in the tournament instead of the Laver Cup – the team event co-founded by Roger Federer.

And the three-time Major winner has explained that he has hopes of ending the year strong with a handful of events left this season across Asia and Europe. “I’ve got an opportunity with these last five or six tournaments at the end of the year to have a strong finish, so that’s what I’m hoping for here,” he said ahead of his opening match in Zhuhai.

“I really enjoyed my last visit to Zhuhai. It’s a beautiful city and a great city with great fans. It’s great to be playing tennis in China again and I am really looking forward to coming back to play at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre.”