Laver Cup: Andy Murray is expecting to have one last opportunity to play against Roger Federer at the Laver Cup the following week.
At the Ryder Cup-style competition he established, which matches Europe against the Rest of the World, at London’s O2 Arena, Federer will make his final professional appearance.
The European squad includes Federer, Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in what will now be remembered as a tribute to Federer’s remarkable career.
Since their first encounter in 2005, Murray, who is six years younger than the Swiss, has played him 25 times.
Murray said: “Obviously he was an amazing player. I was lucky to get to compete against him in some of the biggest matches, in the biggest tournaments, on the biggest stages of our sport.
“At the time I probably didn’t appreciate it as much but now, looking back, it’s pretty amazing. It’s incredible what he achieved and also what Rafa [Nadal] and Novak [Djokovic] have done, as well.
“It’s a sad, sad day for the sport. Unbelievable career, the longevity that he’s had. What he did [at 2017] Australian Open when he came back from the knee surgery and stuff was incredible.
“The way that he played the game, conducted himself and all of those things, I think all of the players respected him for that. I’ll speak more on it I’m sure in the coming week with Laver Cup.
“I don’t know how much he will be able to play. I haven’t spoken to him about that. Maybe I get the opportunity to share a court with him in doubles or something like that. That would be really special.”
Murray should find some motivation in the Laver Cup after being let down by Great Britain’s early Davis Cup elimination. With the home-field advantage in Glasgow, Leon Smith’s team was expected to win their four-team group. However, losses to the United States on Wednesday and the Netherlands on Friday put an end to their chances.
Both times, a doubles match decided the outcome of the tie, Murray and Joe Salisbury lost in nail-biting fashion.
Murray has been accustomed to winning Davis Cup matches for nearly 20 years, so this was a tough pill for him to chew. It is ironic that Smith’s longest run of losing seasons coincides with his best available depth.
Murray, of course, led the squad during his prime, but it is becoming more and more obvious that establishing a solid doubles combination is a top priority with the change from five rubbers to three. Britain has four doubles players ranked in the top 50 in the world, but none of them team up, therefore Murray started instead of third-ranked Neal Skupski.
It is now irrelevant whether the 35-year-old would have participated if the match had not been held in Glasgow, and Smith might give him a singles run-out in Sunday’s encounter against Kazakhstan, which is a dead match because both sides have already been eliminated.
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