Murray bids for singles wildcard at Wimbledon

DOUBLES specialist Jamie Murray has launched an audacious bid to land a wild card for the singles tournament at Wimbledon.

The 22-year-old elder brother of Andy Murray has won four ATP doubles titles as well as the mixed doubles at SW19 last year alongside Serbia's Jelena Jankovic. Now he wants to take part in the main men's draw at this year's tournament, despite not having played a singles match since April last year.

Eight wildcards are available for the men's and women's events and are given to players whose ranking is not high enough to enter the event on merit.

Murray, whose only top-level singles match was a Davis Cup defeat by Dutchman Robin Haase last year, is currently without a singles ranking and has never been higher than 834th in the world.

"I would like to give it a go, and I thought after what I did last year (winning the mixed doubles] it was probably my best chance. It would be a dream come true," he said.

The Lawn Tennis Association will recommend up to eight British men and women ranked in the world's top 250 to the All England Club.

However, only two men fit that criteria: Jamie Baker, at 242, and 243rd-ranked Alex Bogdanovic, although Baker is unlikely to play at Wimbledon due to serious illness.

That means Murray could yet be awarded a place in the tournament, which begins on 23 June, while Wimbledon officials could invite any international players who fall within the world's top 250.

"We don't have too many options in our country so I thought why not give it a try?" said Murray, who has also asked for entry into the singles at Queen's in the lead-up to Wimbledon.

"The faster surfaces suit my game so I think I could do OK. I can only ask and see what happens."

Meanwhile, Andy Murray's preparations for his second-round match against Argentina's Jose Acasuso in the French Open were thrown off course yesterday as heavy rain prevented the 21-year-old from practising.

However, coach Alex Corretja believes it is only a matter of time before the young Scot is challenging Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the latter stages of the biggest clay tournaments.

Corretja, the former two-time French Open finalist who teamed up with Murray five weeks ago, believes there is much more to come from the British No1, who struggled through a five-set encounter in the first round at Roland Garros against 17-year-old French wildcard, Jonathan Eysseric.

Corretja said: "Without a doubt, Andy can really play on this stuff. He will need to work and put in some more time. But if a guy like me was able to play indoors playing top spin, imagine what a guy like Andy, who is more talented than I was, can do (on clay]. It's just a matter of time."

Could he go one better than Tim Henman, who reached the semi-final here in 2004?

"Yeah, of course," replied Corretja. "He will need to be ready physically and mentally, but he is a guy who can play anywhere he wants."

Corretja, however, recognises there is much work to be done on clay-court tactics and their execution after Murray's struggles against Eysseric.

"The first day it's always difficult at the French," said Corretja.

"Andy didn't play good tennis on Sunday but he still won. When he came off court, he said 'I didn't play well but I won' and I said 'I completely agree. But from now on just increase the level'."

That bar must go up at least a couple of notches against Acasuso. Corretja added: "Acasuso is a specialist on clay. It is not going to be an easy match and hopefully he (Murray] is just going to keep calm and positive.

"It's very difficult when you do not have time to practise together, but the goal is to get nearer to Nadal and Djokovic and beat the other guys."