Andy Murray launches US Open seeding chase at Newport; to meet Alexander Bublik next

WATCH: Murray’s museum tour at the International Tennis Hall of Fame

Andy Murray created a small stir by taking a wild card into the ATP event in Newport this week, but he's hoping an extra week on grass will play off during the hard-court season.

The 35-year-old started with a windy 6-2, 6-0 win against Sam Querrey in the first round.

"It was really, really awful conditions to play tennis in," he told the crowd in his on-court interview.

It's his first Newport appearance since 2006, and though a lot has changed for the three-time Slam champion, Murray is—like he was 16 years ago—chasing points with an ambition of improving his ranking. He's No. 52 this week and around 300 points away from a spot in the Top 32, which would give him a seeding at the US Open.

"That's a big goal of mine, these next few weeks," the Brit said. "If you want to go deep at the biggest tournaments it does help to have a seeding, so I'll try my best to do that."

Murray also played a grass challenger during the French Open. He acknowledges that the softer surface helps in an attempt to avoid more wear and tear on his hip, on which he underwent surgery in 2019.

"It's not quite as harsh on the body as some of the hard courts we play on," he said. "But any match I get to play now, I try to make the most of it."

On Wednesday, Murray was down a set and a break before turning the tide to defeat Max Purcell, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. He notably walked with a limp after shaking hands with the Australian.

Murray is now slated to meet No. 3 seed Alexander Bublik Friday for a place in the semifinals.