Andy Murray accepts wildcard for Nottingham Open

British tennis star Andy Murray has accepted a wildcard to play in the Nottingham Open next week to continue his grass-court preparations for Wimbledon.

The three-time Major champion has skipped the French Open this year to concentrate on his preparations for the grasscourt season.

According to a BBC report, Murray has opted to play in Nottingham instead of Stuttgart to cut down on travel but also because the surface is similar to both Queen's and Wimbledon.

"Andy Murray is set to star at the Rothesay Open Nottingham this week after receiving a wild card into the main draw. The former No.1 heads to Nottingham in strong form on the grass, having already made the semifinals at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy," said Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in a statement.

Another British player and World No.25 Dan Evans also accepted a wildcard to the Challenger event as he seeks to find his best form before heading to SW19 in July.

Evans, who lost in the second round of the Surbiton Trophy, is the highest-ranked player in the event. He is joined by fellow Britons, Liam Broady and Jan Choinski, as well as Murray, who has reached the semifinals at Surbiton this week and faces Australia's Jordan Thompson on Saturday for a place in the final.

Qualifying for the Nottingham Open started on Saturday and will run until Sunday. The main draw gets underway on Monday (June 12) through to finals day on June 18.