THE BACK PAGE Murrays’ uphill battle

Andy and Jamie Murray are up against it in this week’s Battle of the Brits Team Tennis event at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

The brothers are playing in the Jamie Murrayorganised event with two all-british teams – the Union Jacks and the British Bulldogs - chasing points in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Mum Judy and Greg Rusedski are captaining the brothers in the Union Jacks team who were losing 29-12 to the Bulldogs as play began yesterday.

The younger Murray is not playing singles and his first appearance on court on Tuesday saw him and Jodie Burrage – who shocked British No 1 Johanna Konta on Monday in the singles – lose to Joe Salisbury and Emma Raducanu.

Yesterday he was scheduled to join up with Lloyd Glasspool to face Dom Inglot and Alastair Gray. On Monday’s opening day, Jamie Murray and Heather Watson lost 7-5 3-6 10-8 to Joe Salisbury and Harriet Dart.

He bounced back on Tuesday when he and Olivia Nicholls beat Alastair Gray and Eden Silva 7-6 6-4 but on Wednesday he suffered two defeats – losing with Dan Evans to Kyle Edmund and Salisbury 6-3 6-4 and with Katie Boulter to Cameron Norrie and Beth Gray 3-6 6-4 10-8.

Yesterday he hoped to get back to winning ways with Heather Watson against Salisbury and Emma Raducanu.

Stirling University’s Maia Lumsden is in the Bulldogs side and notched a win in the singles on Tuesday against Alicia Barnett, winning 5-7 6-4 10-7 but lost on Wednesday in mixed doubles with Inglot, going down to Glasspool and Naomi Broady 6-1 6-4.Yesterday she had the chance of quick revenge against Broady , winning in straight sets.

Eight matches a day are being played over two outdoor courts.