LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray’s comeback after a five-month absence will continue into the weekend after his doubles match at Queen’s Club was suspended in the second set due to darkness on Friday.
The three-time Grand Slam champion and Feliciano Lopez won their first set 6-4 and were 5-4 down in the second to British duo Daniel Evans and Ken Skupski when fading light forced a halt to play at the grass-court event.
Murray was playing freely in his second match since undergoing what he hopes was career-saving hip surgery 144 days ago.
It’s shaping up to be a busy Saturday for Lopez, as he finishes his doubles match, plays in the singles semifinals and possibly the doubles semifinals straight after that.
The former Queen’s Club champion hit 16 aces to beat Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the singles quarterfinals earlier Friday.
Lopez, who was the tournament’s oldest champion when he won at 35 in 2017, next faces up-and-coming star Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals. The 18-year-old Canadian defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-2.
The age differential between the players will be the greatest in an ATP semifinal or final since the 43-year-old Ken Rosewall defeated 23-year-old American Pat Dupre to reach the Hong Kong Grand Prix final in 1977.
Also, the fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-2, 6-2 for a semifinal against Gilles Simon. The French player defeated compatriot Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (3).
Defending champion Marin Cilic and former winner Grigor Dimitrov were both knocked out in the second round on Thursday.
