Murray rules himself out of Davis Cup playoff tie

An emotional Andy Murray has apologize to Scottish tennis fans after the former world No.1 decided not to play in Great Britain’s Davis Cup playoff tie against Uzbekistan in Glasgow.

With the change of Davis Cup format meaning fewer home ties, next week’s clash could have been the Scot’s final chance to play a competitive match in his own country.

Two-time Wimbledon winner Murray, who crashed out of the current US Open in the second round, will instead stay in the US for further rehabilitation on his right hip.

The 31-year-old has played in only one Grand Slam since last year’s Wimbledon as he struggles to return to peak form following his long injury layoff.

In a long message on Instagram, Murray, who won the Davis Cup with Britain in 2015, said sorry for his absence from the tournament.

“I just wanted to write a quick message to apologize to the British Davis Cup team and all the fans who are coming to watch in Glasgow and support on TV,” Murray wrote.

“I have genuinely loved competing in this Davis cup format over the course of my career and have had some of the most memorable and special moments of my career competing for my country.

“With this possibly being my last chance to compete in Scotland as a professional, I really wanted to be there with [the] team and found this decision emotionally quite challenging.

“If I don’t get the chance to compete in Scotland again, I just want to say thank you so much to all the fans who have come along to watch and support the team over the years.”