Murray, Djokovic cleared for Wimbledon duty

LONDON: Former champions Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic shrugged off lingering injury concerns on Friday to take their places in the draw for Wimbledon.

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, had appeared certain to miss out on what will be his farewell appearance at the All England Club after undergoing a back operation last weekend.

Fellow former number one Djokovic, the seven-time champion, also needed surgery earlier this month after suffering a serious knee injury at the French Open.

However, on Friday, the two 37-year-olds, career-long rivals, took their places in the draw for the third Grand Slam tournament of the year which starts on Monday. Murray will face 38th-ranked Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic who has defeated the British star twice this year. Djokovic, seeded two, will take on 123rd-ranked Vit Kopriv, also of the Czech Republic, who will be making his Wimbledon debut.

Murray, now at 115 in the world, underwent an operation on a spinal cyst and said Thursday he was unlikely to be fit enough to play in the singles. The Scot, who plays with a metal hip, went under the knife after experiencing weakness and a loss of coordination in his right leg while playing at Queen´s, forcing him to pull out of that tournament.