Andy Murray's surgically repaired hip is free of pain and he's moving much better on the court, prompting him to return to singles play a few months after he contemplated retirement.

Murray will be a first-day focus at the Western & Southern Open on Monday with his against-the-odds comeback. After playing doubles in several tournaments including Wimbledon, he's begun building back up for singles. He'll face Richard Gasquet in the first round, Murray's first singles match since he lost his opening match at the Australian Open in January.

He decided to have a second hip operation that implanted metal and eliminated the pain. He's been practicing singles for a few weeks and he'll use the tournament near Cincinnati as a gauge.