Davis Cup: Great Britain without Andy Murray & Kyle Edmund for Uzbekistan tie
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
| Davis Cup World Group play-off |
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| Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow Dates: 14-16 September Coverage: Live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website |
Andy Murray will not make his Davis Cup return in Great Britain's tie against Uzbekistan in Glasgow later this month.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, 31, will instead continue his rehabilitation following hip surgery.
"I'm sure it was a difficult decision for Andy but I'm absolutely sure it is the right decision," said GB captain Leon Smith.
Kyle Edmund, the British number one, also misses out but Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie and Jay Clarke are included.
Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot, specialist doubles players, have also been picked for the World Group play-off tie which starts on 14 September.
For Evans, it is a first return to the Davis Cup team since he was banned for a year in April 2017 after testing positive for cocaine.
"There's still a lot of quality in the team," Smith said.
A first-round loss to Spain in February means GB are featuring in the play-offs for the first time since joining the top-level World Group in 2014.
The format of the tournament is changing next year - it is turning into a season-ending 18-team event - so this tie will no longer determine a relegation.
'Right decision' for Murray and Edmund
Former world number one Murray helped his nation win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years when they beat Belgium in 2015.
The Scot has not played in the competition since Britain suffered a semi-final defeat by Argentina in September 2016, missing three matches since through a combination of fatigue and injuries.
After his Grand Slam comeback was ended at the US Open, Murray said he would "love" to make what could have been his last competitive appearance in Scotland.
But he has decided his best long-term option is to continue with rehab work away from the court.
"Everyone agreed in the short term that he should continue the very good rehab work which had put him in the really good situation of being able to compete again," Smith told BBC Radio 5 live.
"If he played Davis Cup then it would take a week of that away."
Edmund, meanwhile, has endured a tough year physically, suffering with illness and sickness which has limited his training.
The 23-year-old Yorkshireman, ranked 16th in the world, was hampered by cramp on his way to a first-round defeat by unseeded Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi at the US Open last week.
"Kyle is not in the physical condition he wants to be in," Smith added.
"His body is deconditioned and it's the right decision for him too."
The inclusion of Evans is recognition of the work the 28-year-old has put in since returning from his ban in April this year to climb up the rankings to 224 in the world.
"History is in the past," said Smith. "He's playing well. It's astonishing how quickly he's moved up the rankings.
"He's got good Davis Cup experience and indoor is a good surface for him so I don't have any reservations about him at all."
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
Britain will compete at the elite level of the reformed Davis Cup next year, whatever the result of this tie: and they remain strong favourites as Uzbekistan have only one player - world number 76 Denis Istomin - in the world's top 400.
The outcome will, though, have a bearing on next year's competition, as GB must win in Glasgow to be seeded in February's preliminary round.
As Andy Murray told BBC Sport last week, there was "a big part" of him that wanted to play in Scotland - possibly for the last time, given the change in the Davis Cup format. But after discussions with his team, he has decided he needs to prioritise his continuing rehabilitation ahead of a trip to China.
Kyle Edmund is in a similar position. He needs to build up his fitness after recurring bouts of tonsillitis, and is expected to have some medical checks, and train in the UK next week. It will be interesting to see whether he then feels ready to represent Europe in the Laver Cup in Chicago the following week.
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You ensured we won the Davis Cup and I, for one, never believed it would happen till you came along.
All the top players would make the same decision.The men’s game requires such a high level of fitness,that it’s sensible to avoid anything that might interfere with their long term rehabilitation.
I’m looking forward to seeing both of them back to their best soon.
Good luck. I hope he is able to adapt and find confidence to compete at the sharp end again for another 2-3 seasons.
Sousa had almost 2 months without winning a single match recently - and he wasn't even injured, so why everyone expects Murray to hit the ground running after surgery, is beyond me!
Murray's done pretty well on his return and is making steady progress.
But it's rather hypocritical of the LTA when he seemingly wasn't good enough to get a WC for Wimbledon. Go figure?
However Wimbledon decision not to award wildcard was consistent; he hadn’t dropped down the rankings through injury.
This is also Glasgow's 9th hosting of a tie in 9 years - more than all the other home venues put together. Come on LTA share the ties out more fairly!
I hope we win but the arena may be partly empty which is poor management by the LTA.
The future is bleak..