Lleyton Hewitt will return to The Queen’s Club for the first time in three years after being granted a wildcard entry into the doubles draw.
Hewitt, who officially retired from the sport two years ago, will pair up with Nick Kyrgios in the tournament. It will be only the second time the two will play a doubles tournament together following their first round loss at the 2015 Canadian Open. Kyrgios has been sidelined from the sport for the past six weeks due to a shoulder injury, but is set to play in the Lyon Open alongside Jack Sock.
“The Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club will always have a special place in my heart. The memories I have of beating Pete Sampras in the final when I was a teenager are as vivid now as they’ve ever been.” Hewitt said in a statement.
“The grass is always perfect, they look after the players, and it’s just a really special tournament to me, and I think to everyone that’s played there. I still love to compete, I can still play a bit, and to be given the chance to get out there with another Aussie is something I’m really looking forward to.”
The 37-year-old is a four-time champion of the event. Between 2000-2003 he was undefeated in the tournament as he claimed three consecutive titles. He scored his fourth in 2006 after defeating James Blake in the final. Hewitt has already made 16 appearances at the London tournament with his first dating back to 1998.
“We know that our ticket-holders are going to love the chance to see Lleyton and Nick playing doubles together for the first time in Britain. Lleyton is one of our all-time greats, and we can’t wait to see him back at The Queen’s Club again.” Said tournament director Stephen Farrow.
Hewitt will also play in the Surbiton Trophy a week prior to Queen’s with Alex Bolt. His first Challenger event since 1999.
Corrie gets rewarded
In the singles draw, Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie has been granted a pass. The 22-year-old has made steady progress on the tour over the past 12 months by climbing more than 100 places in the ATP rankings. Earlier this week he defeated Jose Hernandez-Fernandez in the first round of the Lyon Open. A win that has secured him entry into the top 100 for the first time in his career.
“Cam has really pushed on over the last year and shown that he can mix it with the top players on any given day, whether it be his performances in Davis Cup or qualifying for the bigger ATP events.” British Davis Cup captain Leon Smith said of Norrie.
“He now needs to start winning matches regularly in main draws, make the Top 100 and push on from there. A wild card into the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club is a great opportunity to do exactly that.”
Norrie was born in South Africa, moved to New Zealand at the age of three before residing in London at the age of 16. He also attended university in Texas, USA. His parents were both born in Britain.
So far in his career, Norrie has won a trio of Challenger titles. In the doubles, he claimed his maiden ATP title with British No.1 Kyle Edmund at the Estoril Open in May.
The Fever-Tree championships will get underway on June 17th. As it currently stands, 17 out of the world’s top 30 players are set to take part.
