Andy Murray enters challenger event in Italy

Andy Murray. Pic/AFP

Andy Murray has entered a lower-tier challenger tournament in Italy next month after withdrawing from the Australian Open with the coronavirus. Murray is listed to play an indoor tournament in Biella starting Feb. 15, the Italian Tennis Federation said Wednesday.

The tournament has 132,000 euros ($160,000) in prize money. Murray tested positive for COVID-19 shortly before he was due to board a charter flight to Melbourne, where he had been given a wild-card entry.

Murray is a former No. 1 who is currently ranked 123rd as he works his way back from hip issues that led to two operations. He last played a challenger event in August 2019 in Mallorca, Spain, while recovering from his hip problems.

Also entered for the Biella tournament are 54th-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who also tested positive for COVID-19 before his planned trip to Australia, No. 74 Lucas Pouille, Sebastian Korda, Andreas Seppi and Lorenzo Musetti.

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