ANDY MURRAY has been given a tough draw to start the defence of his Queen’s title.
The British No 1, who will be trying to win the Aegon Championships for a record fifth time, will play France’s Nicolas Mahut in the first round.
World No 49 Mahut likes the grass, reaching the final at Queen’s in 2007 and beating Murray in the quarter-finals in 2012.
So the Scot, Murray, who practised with fellow Brit Dan Evans at Queen’s yesterday, will need to be on his game straightaway.
Murray is thought to be under the weather after his efforts in reaching the French Open final.
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Murray’s half of the draw contains all but one of the four other British men in the singles.
If Murray beats Mahut, he will play the winner of the first-round match between British No 2 Aljaz Bedene and France’s Benoit Paire.
Wildcards Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund will face each other in the second round if they beat their French opponents, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Gilles Simon.
James Ward will face Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller in the first round, which also includes a mouth-watering clash between Aussie firebrand Nick Kyrgios and No 3 seed Milos Raonic.
Raonic, who is working with John McEnroe, is not the only big name to have taken on a new member of his coaching team for the grass season.
No 2 seed Stan Wawrinka has added 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek to his set-up.
Wawrinka, whose French Open title defence ended in semi-final defeat by Murray, said: “I’m always looking to improve, to see new things so I can do the best with my game.
“It’s not just about grass, it’s about my game in general.
“He brings his experience as a player and as a champion, and he can help me with my attacking game and my volley.”
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