Murray, Roddick Look Forward To AEGON Championships

© AFP/Getty ImagesAndy Murray will attempt to become the first Briton to defend a singles title at Queen's Club since 1914.

Andy Murray and Andy Roddick endured a frustrating weekend on the clay courts of Roland Garros and then looked ahead happily to the grass court season which kicks off next Monday at the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club.

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Murray and Roddick were both beaten by inspired opponents in Tomas Berdych and Teimuraz Gabashvili respectively in Paris, but now they return to a surface and a tournament where they have enjoyed notable success.

“I look forward to it,” said Murray, when asked about the prospect of defending his AEGON Championships title after his loss at the French Open.

“It’s obviously a great tournament, it's got great history and to have won last year was awesome. I'll just go back there and try and win again this year and give it my best shot."

Roddick is of a similar mind-set. Both players will travel straight to London, and look to get some early practice on grass courts that Roddick regards as the best in the world.

“There’s not as much thought that goes into my movement on grass,” said Roddick, who is looking to win the AEGON Championships for a record 5th time.

“I feel like my game automatically translates well to that surface. My chip stays down, my backhand goes through the court a little bit, obviously my serve gets a little bit better.

"My returns don't get any worse on grass, and some people's do. They take big swings and have to step back to hit it. That's a real problem. But I don't really do that too much, so, it's just maybe a more comfortable feeling. With that comes a sense of confidence.”

Meanwhile, two other AEGON Championships entrants - Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - have both rolled on in Paris as they seek to add to their Grand Slam title collection.

Three of the times that Nadal has won the French Open he has then immediately travelled to The Queen’s Club to practice on grass within 24 hours of lifting the Roland Garros trophy.

The AEGON Championships will be broadcast live, every day, on BBC Television and Eurosport.

In other news, with only days to go until the start of the tournament, the stars of the AEGON Championships have been putting their best foot forward to promote the event.

Murray featured in a six-page interview and photo-shoot in the Times Magazine last Saturday in which he donned high-fashion clothes, Nadal appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine 'Life In The Day' section, and is interviewed in the current Radio Times magazine, and on Friday, Roddick will guest-star on the Friday Night with Jonathan Ross show on BBC 1.
 
Also, if you pick up the Daily Telegraph on Saturday you will find a special AEGON British Tennis supplement featuring an interview with Roddick.
 
The following day, the Sunday Times sport section will reveal an interview with another AEGON Championships star - Marin Cilic - by the Sports Interviewer of the Year, Paul Kimmage.