Tennis
Andy Murray has been included in Great Britain’s team for the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals in mid-September; the Scot, who led Britain to their first Davis Cup title for 79 years in 2015, last played in the competition in 2019 when he beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor
Monday 15 August 2022 13:41, UK
Andy Murray has been included in Great Britain’s Davis Cup team for the group stage of the competition at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena next month.
Murray joins Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and world doubles No 1 Joe Salisbury in the line-up for Britain’s matches against the United States, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands in Scotland, but there is no place yet for rising star Jack Draper.
Twenty-year-old Draper has surged from outside the top 250 to 55 in the rankings this season but Murray, who is eight places higher, gets the nod to provide singles competition to Wimbledon semi-finalist Norrie and 23rd-ranked Evans.
A fifth player will be added later, giving Draper further chance to stake his claim along with doubles specialist Neal Skupski, who won his sixth title of the season with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof in Montreal on Sunday.
Davis Cup Captain and LTA Head of Men’s Tennis Leon Smith said: “I’m delighted to name such a strong team to take on the other three nations next month in Glasgow. We have really good strength and depth at the moment and selections have been tougher than ever.
“Emirates Arena has been a brilliant venue for our team in the past, creating some of the best atmospheres and memories our players have experienced.
“We are very excited to bring Davis Cup back there for the first time in over four years and look forward to a packed-out stadium making some serious noise for our team.”
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Smith said Murray’s inclusion was a no-brainer, with the former world No 1 bringing a wealth of experience to the side and now back in the Top 50.
“His body is coping brilliantly with being back on tour so for me when he’s available to play it’s brilliant for the team. On court, you know you’re going to get high-quality from him. He’s an amazing competitor, but also around the other players what he can bring,” he said.
“Cam Norrie spoke about it recently, to have Andy in-and-around, talking tactics ahead of the matches, it’s a really big asset to have.”
Murray will play in the competition for the first time since 2019, having missed the most recent edition last November, when Britain lost to Germany in the quarter-finals.
He is guaranteed a hero’s welcome at home, with Britain playing their matches on September 14, 16 and 18.
“It’s always special playing in a Davis Cup tie in front of a home crowd,” said the 35-year-old. “Some of the best moments of my career have come representing my country in the Davis Cup, so to be a part of the team again means a lot.
“Obviously it’s exciting that the competition is returning to Glasgow. We’ve had some brilliant results there in the past and this is another chance for us to create even more history. We’ve got a strong team and we’ll be giving everything we can to get the win for the fans and book our place in the finals.”
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Smith also discussed Norrie’s climb having reached the semi-finals at the All England Club this summer, saying: “He’s spoken about becoming number one in the world and winning Grand Slams. That is exactly what we want to hear and he’s capable because of the work ethic he’s putting in.
“I think he works harder than anyone else on the tour, but he’s also improved his game a lot. You look at how his serve is. His forehand is now more offensive and his results against the top players are really good now.
“He’s talking about going deep at the US Open. That surface for him is really, really good as well so I think it’s exciting, positive signs.”
The latest incarnation of the historic competition sees four cities hosting groups of four teams each, with the top two in each pool progressing to a last-eight shoot-out in Malaga in November.
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