Andy Murray is ‘unlikely’ to play in Great Britain’s upcoming Davis Cup quarter-final clash against Serbia next weekend according to British media sources.
The world No.2 have been an instrumental player in the British Davis Cup team, playing in eight consecutive ties since September 2013. During 2015, Murray won 11 matches (eight singles and three doubles) to guide his country to their first Davis Cup title since 1936.
The eight-tie run is set to come to an end with Murray indicating that he will not be playing in Belgrade this weekend. On Sunday Murray won his third grand slam title after defeating Milos Raonic in straight sets. Shortly after his Wimbledon title win, the 28-year-old hinted that he was uncertain about his participation in the tie.
“I’m going to speak with Leon about that tomorrow,” Murray said yesterday regarding the Davis Cup.
“Physically, I feel okay You feel like you could play another five matches right now. But when I wake up tomorrow morning, it will be a bit different.”
Following up on yesterday’s comments, the Brit has now talked with team captain Leon Smith on Monday morning and a decision is expected to be made later in the day.
It is understood that the Brit will still travel to Serbia to support his team, but he currently doesn’t plan to play. Murray faces a hectic summer schedule with the Rogers Cup, Olympic Games, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open occurring within five weeks. Preparing for such a busy schedule, Murray is currently in no rush to return to the court as he targets a second Olympic gold medal.
“The Olympics is important to me,” Murray told the BBC.
“I loved the two I was involved in and winning the gold medal made me realise how special it is.”
Murray’s absence from the tie is a further blow to the upcoming encounter. Last week it was confirmed that Novak Djokovic will also miss the tie. Meanwhile, world No.32 Viktor Troicki is another notable absence.
With Murray almost certain to be out of action, the British team will feature Kyle Edmund, Dan Evans, Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot. Both Evans and Edmund are top-100 players. The Serbian team is yet to formally announce their squad.
The upcoming clash will occur outdoors on the clay at the Tasmajdan Stadium. During their last encounter in 2006, Britain lost the tie 3-2.
