Murray to face Sandgren in Winston-Salem Open first round

FILE PHOTO: Aug 12, 2019; Mason, OH, USA; Andy Murray (GBR) serves against Richard Gasquet (FRA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - Andy Murray will meet 72nd-ranked American Tennys Sandgren in the first round at the Winston-Salem Open as the British former world number one gives his surgically-repaired hip another test.

The first round of the ATP 250 event in North Carolina will be played on Sunday and Monday. The day of Murray's match had yet to be announced.

Former Australian Open quarter-finalist Sandgren, who won his first career title in Auckland in January, has never played Murray.

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 8, 2019 Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. in action during his match against Sam Querrey of the U.S. REUTERS/Toby Melville

If Murray beats Sandgren, he will play Canadian second seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

Murray, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, is not planning to play in the final Grand Slam of the year in New York starting Monday week.

"What I need now is matches. I want to get myself back on the singles court and keep testing myself," he said on Thursday.

Murray lost 6-4 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati on Monday in his first singles match since January.

(Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Ian Ransom)