Andy Murray takes wildcard into Provence Challenger event immediately after Madrid loss

Former world No.1 Andy Murray has been confirmed to play at the Aix Open Provence Crédit Agricole tennis tournament. This event is a professional tennis tournament that takes place every year in Aix-en-Provence, France. It is part of the ATP Challenger Tour and is played on clay courts. It will run from May 1-7.

Tournament director Arnaud Clément announced at a press conference on Friday morning that Murray had requested and been granted a wildcard for the event. Murray, currently ranked 52nd, will join French player Gaël Monfils in the tournament, who was also granted a wildcard.

Clément was thrilled to confirm the presence of the former world No.1 and three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, who is currently ranked 52nd.

"When Andy Murray asks you for an invitation, we think for a quarter of a second and we obviously answer yes ," Arnaud Clément said.

Andy Murray will also have his brother Jamie by his side, as he will compete in the doubles draw. Gaël Monfils, the French star who is ranked 15th in the world and has 10 titles to his name, will also be a strong contender for the title.

Andrea Vavassori beats Andy Murray in Madrid Open and recalls idolizing the British player

Andy Murray

Andrea Vavassori idolized three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and beat him in the Round of 64 at the 2023 Madrid Open. Vavassori defeated Murray 6-2, 7-6(7) in an hour and 32 minutes.

The world No. 52 from Britain saved four match points in the second-set tiebreak but eventually lost the contest. In an on-court interview, Vavassori praised Murray and expressed his joy at the victory.

"I've followed him all my tennis career. I think, until the second half of the second set, I played the best tennis of my life. Then the nerves come in a little bit. At the end, just joy."

Vavassori, who entered the main draw as a qualifier, broke Murray thrice and won 78 percent (32/41) of the points on his first serve. The Italian player hit 23 winners to just 15 from his 35-year-old opponent.

In a press conference after the match, Murray commended Andrea Vavassori. Although disappointed with his performance, the British player acknowledged Vavassori's skills on the court.

"He played very well at the beginning, and he's serving huge, you know, big kick serve, and in these conditions, not easy to control that. I certainly struggled with that in the beginning. Then, yeah, obviously second set started to get into it a bit more. I was playing a bit better, some positive signs, some of the errors, you know, are hard to explain."

Vavassori's victory over Murray is the biggest win of his career so far. The Italian player will face another tough challenge in the second round against world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.