MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Ajax. It's all about poor little Ajax. UEFA's latest protectionist scheme is focused on favouring the underdogs. Of course it is. They're all heart, as ever.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: All the reasons for not taking the Open to Royal Portrush are now similarly advanced for keeping it away from Royal Porthcawl.

The former world No 1 has so far been restricted to doubles action since returning following his hip operation in January, and played in the mixed event alongside Serena Williams at Wimbledon.

The news, which was announced by the Scot on his Facebook page, comes seven months after his tearful revelation in Australia that his career could be over.

Murray has confirmed that he won't play in the men's singles at the US Open later this month. Murray resumed his singles career on Monday night but lost in straight sets to Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati.

Andy and partner Feliciano Lopez beat Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 to reach the last eight, after Jamie and Neal Skupski beat French pair Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-3.

Andy Murray was beaten by brother Jamie in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters, spelling the end of the two-time Wimbledon champion's dabble with doubles.

A weary Andy Murray needed treatment for cramp he was beaten last night by the world number 240, bringing to an end his experiment with the Rafa Nadal Challenger event in Mallorca.

In order to qualify, GB are reliant on him using up one of his 'protected ranking' entries. Murray is counted as a world No 2 for these purposes under the scheme that helps the long-term injured return.

Andy Murray scored arguably his best singles win since the onset of his hip issues when he knocked US Open semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini out of the China Open this morning.

Andy Murray is finding his comeback so exhausting that he needed to take a nap before performing his post-match media duties after making the last eight of the China Open.

Former world number one Andy Murray recovered from a slow start to beat Argentine qualifier Juan Ignacio Londero 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the Shanghai Masters opening round on Monday.

Former world No 1 Andy Murray will play at next year's Australian Open in what will be his first Grand Slam singles appearance since undergoing hip surgery, organisers confirmed on Tuesday.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP: Andy Murray has admitted that his expected dream team partnership with brother Jamie may not materialise in the forthcoming glut of team competitions.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP: The 32 year-old Scot will play his first semi-final since the 2017 French Open after overcoming Romania's Marius Copil 6-3 6-7 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes.

MIKE DICKSON: Having witnessed Andy Murray emerge from a Scottish backwater to break the mould of underachieving British tennis I should have known better.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP:Andy Murray may have had his hip covered in metal, but nobody ever suggested his mentality needed any resurfacing.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: It was the night of May 12, 2017. Later, Chelsea under Antonio Conte would win the title. For now, the Hawthorns was alive with anticipation.

The 38-year-old, currently ranked three in the world, had committed to playing the inaugural tournament in Australia at the start of 2020, but has opted out in order to spend more time with his family.

Kyle Edmund has completed Great Britain's squad for the new-format Davis Cup in Madrid next month. Captain Leon Smith gave Edmund the nod over Cam Norrie.

Tim Henman's return to top level performance tennis as captain of Britain's team for the ATP Cup was confirmed on Thursday night after the new competition was launched.

Andy Murray has encouraged everyone in tennis to get behind the new Davis Cup format masterminded by Gerard Pique. The event begins at Caja Magica in Madrid on Monday.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: There are certain privileges that come with winning three Grand Slams and a Davis Cup for your country as Andy Murray is finding out this week.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Andy Murray, heavy-legged and relying purely on his old fighting instincts, avoided a shock defeat on his return to Davis Cup tennis by the narrowest of margins.

Andy Murray said he neglected to think about the feelings of those close to him and insisted his wife Kim, who he married in 2015 in Dunblane had been 'brilliant' through the ordeal.

Kyle Edmund produced one of his most impressive performances in recent months to push Great Britain one step closer to a quarter-final berth at the Davis Cup in Madrid.

Andy Murray said he can finally play without worrying about his hip following career-saving surgery in January, but says next year's Australian Open is a big test of his progress.

The tennis star, who was just nine-years-old at the time of the shooting at the school in Dunblane near Stirling, Scotland, has told a documentary how he attended kids clubs with the killer.

EXCLUSIVE:Tim Henman is set to make a shock comeback to high performance tennis by captaining the Great Britain team in January's new ATP Cup.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: Tim Henman got an abrupt introduction to the joys of team management and coaching immediately after touching down in Sydney.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: They romped to a 3-0 win over the bottom team of their qualification group at the Ken Rosewall Arena which included Dan Evans taking down world No 46 Radu Albot 6-2 6-2.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: Tim Henman has admitted he always feared he would be unable to call upon Andy Murray for the ATP Cup after he learned of his bruised pelvic injury.

Juan Martin del Potro has become the latest high-profile casualty of the Australian Open after it was announced the Argentine has withdrawn from the first Grand Slam of 2020.

Andy Murray's mother Judy has faced backlash from her youngest son after she ruined her own Instagram joke by cropping the photo too closely.

As Douglas Davidson, 51, from Scotland, stood at the alter, he had no idea whether gender fluid husband-to-be Chris Law, 37, would walk down the aisle as himself or 'blushing bride' Fiona.

Boris Becker has backed Andy Murray to return from his latest injury nightmare and reclaim his place at the top of his sport. Murray is suffering from a pelvic injury after recovering from serious hip surgery.

The 32-year-old has recently returned to the court after being unable to hit for three months because of what was initially diagnosed as a mild bone bruise.

MIKE KEEGAN - SPORTS AGENDA: Andy Murray still holds out hope of making his comeback at the Miami Open later this month despite ongoing threat of the coronavirus spreading.

Any hopes Andy Murray had of making a comeback later this month could be dashed - although on this occasion it would be irrespective of concerns over his troublesome hip.

Judy Murray will reportedly take part in Celebrity MasterChef 2020.

Andy Murray will swap a tennis racket for a games controller when he takes part in a virtual Madrid Open later this month.

Eugenie Bouchard challenged her followers to a game of Tennis World Tour. The Canadian is preparing for an online tournament featuring the likes of Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal.

Andy Murray will go down as one of tennis' greats in the modern era and it appears his prowess in the sport also extends to the virtual realm.

It might not have the usual challenges presented by the clay courts but Andy Murray has proven he can be just as devastating behind a controller as well as a racket by winning the Virtual Madrid Open.

Rooney sent social media into meltdown on Wednesday when she released an incredible statement accusing friend Rebekah of leaking stories about her to the press.

EXCLUSIVE: Rebekah and Jamie Vardy are currently on holiday in Dubai after Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen made bombshell claims that Rebekah yesterday.

Thornton Manor on the Wirral in Merseyside is an unlikely venue for a major diplomatic breakthrough on Brexit. Coronation Street stars hold their weddings there.

Woodward is a divisive figure among United fans, especially while the club struggle in the lower echelons of the Premier League, and now new light has been shed on the club's chief.

Coleen Rooney looked worse-for-wear as she left footballer Wes Brown's 40th birthday bash in Manchester on Friday at 4am.

Coleen Rooney wished her husband Wayne a happy birthday on Thursday as they were forced to spend the day apart.