(London, 4th February 2013) Andy Murray will arrive at the Aegon Championships in June as a Grand Slam champion for the first time, and targeting a third title on his return to The Queen’s Club – the scene of his first ATP World Tour match victory.
Eight years on from that first win against Santiago Ventura of Spain in 2005, Murray returns having won the Aegon Championships twice, a gold medal at the London Olympics, and having reached six Grand Slam singles finals. Last September, at the US Open, he became the first British man to win a singles title at a Grand Slam tournament since Fred Perry 76 years earlier.
The 2013 Aegon Championships is one of four ATP & WTA grass court tournaments staged and run by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in the run up to The Championships, Wimbledon, and will be the next opportunity for fans to see Murray in action on British soil. He is already looking forward to it.
“I’ll never forget winning the first ATP match of my career at Queen’s Club almost 8 years ago,” said Murray. “I was only 18 at the time and then went on to have a great match with Thomas Johansson, who was in the Top 20 at the time, a couple of rounds later. They get big crowds who know their tennis and Tournament Director Chris Ker- mode and the organisers do a great job. The grass courts are as good as anywhere in the world, which is perfect coming a week before Wimbledon. I’ve won the title twice be- fore and I’d love to win it again this year.”
After lifting the Aegon Championships trophy without dropping a set in 2009, Murray triumphed again in spectacular fashion two years later, winning a thrilling, rain-delayed Monday final against Jo Wilfried Tsonga. The last British player to win three titles at The Queen’s Club was FG Lowe, who lifted the trophy for a third and final time in 1925.
Thomas Johansson, who won their 2005 clash 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-5, knew that he was up against a star of the future. “I had practiced with Andy before, so I knew what he was capable of. In that match, he showed that, even at 18, he was for sure a Top 20 player of the future, but he was still a young man. Now he has matured and become one of the fittest guys out there. He is a brilliant player and he will win many more Grand Slam tournaments in the future.”The Media Accreditation system for the Aegon Championships is now open. To apply, click here and follow the instructions: http://www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/LTA-summer-grass-court-events/Aegon-Championships/About/Media-Accreditation/
The official ballot, for people that have signed up to the Aegon Championships mailing list, is now open, and can be entered via the official tournament website until 11th February: http://www.aegonchampionships.com
Another way to watch the tournament in style and to entertain guests is via a Hospitality Package. They are now on-sale here: http://www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/LTA-summer-grass-court-events/Aegon-Championships/Hospitality/
The Aegon Championships will be broadcast live, every day from 10th-16th June, on BBC Television and Eurosport.
For more information about the event, please go to the official Aegon Championships website: http://www.aegonchampionships.com
Issued by Queen’s Club