Murray optimistic he will be fit to play at Wimbledon

The two-time Wimbledon champion has had just three matches since his return from long-term hip trouble, and has been battling to reach full sharpness in time for the tournament.

The 31-year-old will face France’s Benoit Paire in the first round at SW19 – a repeat of the fourth-round tie he won in straight sets last year.

Murray had surgery on his right hip in January and only returned to action at Queen’s on June 18, when he lost to Nick Kyrgios.

“I feel alright, not much different to how I felt two days ago really,” Murray said on Friday.

“I’ll chat to my team this afternoon and also see a bit how the next two days go.

“I’m playing sets and stuff tomorrow, and then yeah, but most likely yeah, I’ll play.

“The thing is I obviously don’t know every single day how things will be. I need to play it a little bit by ear.

“I can’t predict how I’m going to feel in two days. But if I feel like I do today in a couple of days, I’ll be playing.”

Murray overcame Stan Wawrinka at Eastbourne on Monday, only to lose in straight sets to fellow Briton Kyle Edmund in Wednesday’s second-round clash.

Murray’s reward for victory over Paire would be a likely second-round meeting with Denis Shapovalov, while Juan Martin Del Potro could prove a testing third-round clash.

“I guess obviously I could have played one of the top players in the world,” said Murray, unseeded at SW19 this year after his protracted injury absence.

“But at this stage where I’m at in the first round, it’s tricky for me.

“He’s a very talented guy, I played him last year in the fourth round.

“So he’s tough to play,” added Murray.

Current British No 1 Edmund will face Australia’s Alex Bolt in next week’s first round. The world No 18 – from Beverley, Yorkshire – could be in for a daunting third-round tie however, with 12-time major champion Novak Djokovic lying in wait.

Johanna Konta, Britain’s world No 22, will face Russia’s Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the first round of the women’s championships.

Compatriot Naomi Broady will enjoy a Centre Court showing scheduled for Tuesday when she meets defending champion Garbine Muguruza first up.

And fellow Briton Gabriella Taylor will take on Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard.

Cameron Norrie, the British No 2, faces an intriguing tie against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who has previously represented Britain. Liam Broady will take on the Canadian world No 32 Milos Raonic.

Reigning champion Roger Federer meets Dusan Lajovic in his opener, while Rafael Nadal takes on Dui Sela.

Fit-again Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov have been thrown together in what is likely to be one of the most eagerly-anticipated first-round clashes, while Djokovic will meet Tennys Sandgren.

Kyrgios is up against Denis Istomin and Marin Cilic takes on Yoshihito Nishioka.

British teenager Katie Swan will take on Irina-Camelia Begu in the women’s draw, while top seed Simona Halep will meet Kurumi Nara.

Heather Watson will line up against Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, with Maria Sharapova drawn with Vitalia Diatchenko.

Two-time champion Petra Kvitova will meet Aliaksandra Sasnovich, with Serena Williams up against Holland’s Arantxa Rus and sister Venus taking on Sweden’s Johanna Larsson.