Defending Davis Cup champions Great Britain are set to be without their number one player for the upcoming World Group quarterfinal clash with Serbia, as Andy Murray announces he is likely to not feature over the three-day tie. Kyle Edmund and James Ward are expected to compete in the singles rubbers, with Dom Inglot likely to play alongside Jamie Murray in Saturday’s doubles rubber.
Murray likely to skip tie with Serbia
After lifting his second Wimbledon title on Sunday, Murray made the announcement that he’s unlikely to appear for Great Britain in Serbia, seemingly ending a run of eight consecutive appearances in Davis Cup ties for his country. With the tie on clay, so close to the end of the grass season, a change in surface would not be beneficial to his chances of defending his gold medal at the upcoming Olympic games in Rio, which is due to be played on outdoor hard courts. The world number two saw-off Milos Raonic in straight sets at SW19 to claim his third Grand Slam crown, and admitted to the BBC that he will travel to Belgrade to support his countrymen even if he decides not to feature.
"All the guys on the team are great. Winning the Davis Cup was one of the best moments of my career, and the whole team's. We are a team and whether I'm playing or not I'll always try to support".
Previously, his rival Novak Djokovic stated he was skipping the tie, leading to speculation being grown around the British number one’s participation in the last eight meeting. His absence could be a big blow to their chances of overcoming the tricky tie, with Murray on a run of winning his last 14 rubbers including four victories in the doubles alongside brother Jamie. Confirmation on his decision to play or not is expected in the near-future, but it looks to be over to his teammates to continue their quest for an historic title defence.
Great Britain look to continue their title defence
Britain’s run to the title in 2015 was largely in part due to Murray’s heroics, but his expected withdrawal from this weekend’s squad allows the other players to stake a claim to challenge for the number one sport in Britain. Kyle Edmund was always likely to seal the second singles rubbers spot, despite missing the first round clash with Japan due to injury. He made his debut in the final against Belgium back in November, and pushed David Goffin all the way to five sets after clinching the opening two in stunning fashion. Edmund will like his chances on clay for both of his singles rubbers, with Viktor Troicki and Djokovic absent for the hosts.
The second singles place is set to be James Ward, with Dan Evans unable to feature due to a shoulder problem. Ward has only ever won once in main draws on the ATP tour when on clay, but always seems to bring his best form out when representing his country. Dom Inglot will probably deputise for Andy in the doubles, alongside the ever-present Jamie Murray.
Serbia without Djokovic and Troicki
Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic has named Nenad Zimonjic, Janko Tipsarevic, Filip Krajinovic and Dusan Lajovic as the hosts squad to take on the defending champions. Like Britain, Serbia will struggle without their number one player, but the loss of Troicki may cost them the tie even without Djokovic. Tipsarevic and Lajovic are expected to play the singles, whilst one of the players will be alongside Zimonjic in what could be the vital doubles rubber.
The tie takes place between the 15th July to the 17th, unless either side wraps up an unassailable lead after the first two day’s play.
