Andy Murray given Sydney wildcard before Australian Open
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Andy Murray arrived in Sydney this week, watching his British colleagues - including older brother Jamie - play in the ATP Cup on Thursday
Britain's former world number one Andy Murray will continue his Australian Open preparations by playing a warm-up event in Sydney for the first time.
Murray, 34, has been given a wildcard for the Sydney Tennis Classic, an ATP 250 event which starts on Monday and also features compatriot Dan Evans.
Murray lost his opening match of 2022 to world number 76 Facundo Bagnis in the Melbourne Summer Series on Tuesday.
The Australian Open, where Murray is also a wildcard, starts on 17 January.
The Scot, a five-time runner-up at Melbourne Park, is ranked 134th in the world as he continues to rebuild his career after major hip surgery in January 2019.
The operation left the three-time Grand Slam champion announcing at the 2019 Australian Open he feared he would have to retire.
Murray returned to singles action later that year but his progress has been stalled by a series of injuries and the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sydney event also features a WTA 500 tournament which includes Britain's US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
The 19-year-old is among 19 of the world's top 30 playing in Sydney, with fellow Grand Slam champions Ash Barty, Garbine Muguruza, Barbora Krejcikova, Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek in the field.
Spain into ATP Cup final
Spain reached the ATP Cup final in Sydney by beating Poland in the semi-finals of the season-opening men's team event.
Spain secured victory - in a best-of-three tie consisting of two singles matches and a doubles match - as Pablo Carreno Busta and Roberto Bautista Agut both won.
Carreno Busta, the world number 20, needed only 53 minutes to win 6-2 6-1 against Jan Zielinski, a late replacement after Kamil Majchrzak tested positive for Covid-19.
Bautista Agut, ranked 19th, took his sixth match point against world number nine Hubert Hurkacz to win 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-6 (7-5) and set up a final against Russia or Canada on Sunday.
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