Five top-20 players will challenge Andy Murray for the Aegon Championships crown at Queen's Club in June.

Murray won his third title at the West Kensington club 12 months ago before going on to lift the Wimbledon trophy.

Marin Cilic, the 2012 champion and the man Murray beat in the final last year, returns and will be a danger as one of only six men to have won two titles this season.

The entry list is headed by world No.6 Tomas Berdych, but Murray could go into the event as the highest-ranked player with a strong performance over the next six weeks.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Grigor Dimitrov, Kevin Anderson and Ernests Gulbis are the other top-20 entrants for the tournament, which starts on June 9.

Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt has also announced his intention to take part.

This year's event also marks the debut for tournament director Ross Hutchins, who took over from new ATP head Chris Kermode in May.

Hutchins said: "The Aegon Championships player entry list includes current champions such as Andy Murray, established stars like Lleyton Hewitt and exciting young talent in Grigor Dimitrov, Ernests Gulbis and Dominic Thiem, among many others.

"They will compete for a trophy at the Queen's Club that has been lifted in the Open era by Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. We can't wait for the tournament to get under way."

Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli is returning to the grass courts of Britain this summer - but she quickly shot down any talk of a comeback.

The Frenchwoman will be at the Liverpool Hope University International Tennis Tournament in June - a pre-Wimbledon exhibition event.

Bartoli became one of the most unexpected champions in Wimbledon's history when she beat Sabine Lisicki in the final last July to win her first Grand Slam title at the age of 28.

Even more surprisingly, Bartoli announced she was retiring from tennis little over a month later, citing the wear and tear of injuries. There had been rumours she would ask for a wild card into Wimbledon this year but the 29-year-old insists she won't make a comeback.