ANDY MURRAY has been used to carrying the weight of a nation’s tennis expectations on his shoulders but it his back that could be facing a strenuous test in the build-up to next month’s Davis Cup.
Great Britain will play Belgium in their first Davis Cup final for 37 years and Murray has insisted that leading the team to glory in that November showdown in Ghent is his No.1 priority for the season.
That battle with the Belgians will take place just five days after the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London’s O2 Arena ends.
The elite, eight-man World finals will be played on a hard court surface, a stark contrast to the clay courts that the Davis Cup will be staged upon.
The switch from hard courts to clay has given Murray a number of niggling problems down the seasons and the Dunblane ace even had to go under the surgeon’s knife two years ago to remedy a back complaint.
Speaking ahead of this week’s Shanghai Rolex Masters, Murray revealed that he planned to practise on clay for “four or five days” in the week before the World Tour Finals.
The 28-year-old is well aware that practising on clay is not the ideal build up to the lucrative London event but he is is hoping his back will respond well.
However, Murray is remaining cautious and admitted there is still a question mark over his appearance in the World finals.
He said: “I have to look out for what’s best for myself and the people in charge of the ATP look out for what’s best for the tour. I know how my body is and how it’s reacted to switching on to clay courts and not having any time beforehand.
“If it doesn’t [react well], then I’ll have to look at that because my back has caused me problems on the clay before.
“The Davis Cup for me is my priority between now and the end of the year. If the final of the Davis Cup was on an indoor hard court there would be no question of me not playing [the World finals].
“I don’t have the luxury of being able to lose the first match in the Davis Cup final on the Friday. I know I have to win that match.”
When Murray suggested last month that there was “a question mark” over his appearance in London, ATP chiefs pointed out the sanctions that could be imposed on a player withdrawing from its showcase event without what it considers a valid reason.
The penalties include possible suspension from all ATP events in the following year and exclusion from the year-end bonus pool, from which Murray is set to earn $880,000 (about £574,000) this year. He would also miss the chance to earn up to $2,228,000 (£1.45m) in prize money at the O2 Arena.
After a first-round bye in Shanghai, Murray will begin his campaign against Steve Johnson or Andreas Seppi. In the third round he could face Belgian No.1 David Goffin in a curtain-raiser for their meeting in the Davis Cup final.
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