WERE Andy Murray to be sweeping the floor or serving drinks at the Emirates Arena next month then an infatuated Scottish public would probably still turn up to see him. You also suspect that given his can-do attitude around tennis in particular that the two-times Wimbledon champion would be quite happy performing either role.
The 35 year-old was named yesterday in the Great Britain team as the Davis Cup returns to Glasgow for the first time in four years for group stage matches against the United States, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands.
Murray, back inside the world top 50, is there on merit for his playing abilities – alongside Wimbledon semi-finalist Cam Norrie, Dan Evans, Joe Salisbury and a fifth player to be named nearer the time – but will also provide a useful sounding board for team captain Leon Smith throughout the event.
Tennis is an individual sport for the most part but the two-times Wimbledon champion has thrived within the team environment of the Davis Cup, memorably helping GB win it in 2015 but also offering insight and support behind the scenes whenever injury has prevented him from playing.
“The other players lean on him a lot,” revealed Smith. “Even now that Cam is achieving a lot, Andy is Andy. So they’ll ask: ‘How do you play this guy? What do I do if it’s gone wrong in the first set?’ And that insight is vital. Andy brings a huge amount. I love having him around. When you’re sitting down doing the team and the match chats, the tactics and stuff, he’s just brilliant. There’s no one better at that.
“While he’s still an active tour player he’ll be vying for selection for the team. But when he’s not been fit to play l'd quite often turn to him if he’s sitting there and he’d always give you one or two bits of info that could help. There was a time we were playing Serbia in Belgrade and he flew out even though he couldn’t play. And he was there with the ball hopper, picking up balls, feeding them to the other players. So he’s an all-in guy. And maybe in the future whenever that might be he’d be an obvious choice to do the role [of support staff]. He’d be unbelievable at that.”
The Davis Cup hasn’t always been seen as a priority for players at the top end of the sport given their myriad of other commitments but for Murray this week in September was inked in the diary as far back as March when he and Smith first discussed it. Retirement is not yet in Murray’s thoughts but Smith urged the Glasgow public to go out and watch the double Olympic gold medalist while they still could.
“I didn’t have to persuade him at all,” added Smith. “He was great. He first started talking about it in Miami back in March. We had a great conversation about it and he was really helpful to me. What was obvious was that he wanted to be a part of it. There wasn’t any doubt. For me that was just brilliant to hear.
“There’s no vibe at all that he’s thinking of finishing. He’s pushing for more and more success whatever that might be.
“But for the fans here – if there’s a chance to come and watch Andy you come and watch. This is Scotland’s best ever sportsperson. So if there’s a chance to come and watch him live I’d make the most of it.”
For Smith, Murray and Norrie, as a half-Scot, the lure of returning to play in Glasgow is obvious. But the captain revealed it was a feeling shared by those in the upper echelons of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) too.
“When Scott Lloyd, our CEO at the LTA, was talking about going for a bid, it was obvious that we wanted to start here,” added Smith. “It's just the perfect arena. Whatever happens here, it just works for us.
“I don't know if it's the way the stadium is designed but it's as loud as I ever remember a stadium being and I have been at a lot of big ones, watching players in Grand Slam finals.
"It's so unique and I think because we've had such amazing memories back here, 2015 being obvious. But even when we played Argentina the following year, the atmosphere was fantastic. Eight or nine thousand in an indoor arena surrounding a tennis court is so different to any other environment and our players love it.
"We've all seen it when someone plays the first point in a tennis match and you ease your way into a match with polite applause - here it goes 0-15 and the place goes mental. For a younger generation of fans, it can be more powerful than a lot of other tennis events when you showcase a team event.”
Tickets are available at lta.org.uk/daviscuptickets starting at £5 for children and £10 for adults.
