Defending Cup priority for Murray, says Judy
EXCLUSIVE
JUDY MURRAY believes the lure of defending the Davis Cup will drive her son Andy through a gruelling summer schedule. Having guided Britain past Japan last weekend, the World No 2 now turns his focus back to individual pursuits, but is set for a packed calendar and a potential quadrupleheader with Novak Djokovic. Murray will hope to play in three major finals in 10 weeks between the climax of the French Open on June 5 and the Olympic gold medal match on August 14. And the British No 1 is likely to face Djokovic at every tournament — including the Davis Cup quarter-final which falls a week after Wimbledon, as Britain have drawn Serbia. According to his mother, however, Murray will not look to prioritise certain events. ‘Andy has committed himself to the defence of the title,’ she said. ‘The challenge of the Davis Cup is that it tends to come very quickly after the Slams. And if you do well in them, you are physically and emotionally exhausted. ‘It was a big drain on him last year, playing four Davis Cup matches across the year as well as all the obligations with the Slams and the ATP Tour, but I know that he can see the enormous buzz it has given the country. Defending the title is a big priority for him this year. ‘The Grand Slams, the Davis Cup and the Olympics are the three biggest things in your sport and they all come together in a very short space of time across this summer. So it will be a very demanding time for all of the top players, not just Andy and Novak.’ Judy also celebrated a stellar weekend for British Tennis, with thousands of fans cheering the country on in Birmingham while, across the pond, Heather Watson won her third WTA Tour singles title in Monterrey hours later, moving her up to 53 in the world rankings. ‘The Davis Cup has engaged a whole load of new fans, it is much easier to get people behind a team event rather than an individual,’ added the British Fed Cup captain (below). ‘The whole team vibe is crucial but it is a massive opportunity for British Tennis to grow the game — not just for those playing it but for those who watch it, too. The fanbase is huge. ‘I thought Andy played amazingly well. ‘He played 11 sets in three days. It’s a big ask, especially because he had not played for five weeks. ‘It was great to see Heather win another WTA title, too. ‘I firmly believe she should be targeting a ranking between 20 and 30 by the end of
the year.’