Murray returns, claims first singles win since hip surgery

Former world number one Andy Murray claimed his first singles victory since returning from hip surgery with a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of French novice Imran Sibille at the Rafa Nadal Open in Mallorca on Monday.

The 32-year-old Scot skipped playing at the US Open, preferring instead to drop down to the ATP Challenger event on the holiday island to continue fine-tuning his game.

It was the first time Murray has played on the second-tier Challenger Tour for 14 years and he needed just 42 minutes to overwhelm Sibille, barely breaking sweat on a warm evening.

Murray, ranked 328, lost only a smattering of points and was rarely made to stretch by a 17-year-old opponent who was given a coaching lesson by the three-time Grand Slam champion.

Murray resisted the temptation to complete a whitewash, slapping a forehand into the net to hand Sibille a game he will cherish, but closed it out in the following game.