Andy Murray looks likely to miss this year’s ATP World Tour Finals should, as is widely touted, Belgium decide to use clay courts for the Davis Cup final in November.
The British #1, who has been instrumental in helping Great Britain to their first Davis Cup final since 1978, was nursing was slight back injury during the semifinal victory over Australia last week.
Murray had successful surgery on his back in 2013, which resulted in him missing a large chunk of the tour. However, if the decision were taken to play the Davis Cup final on clay, it seems the Scot would need as much time to recover and acclimate to the surface as possible.
“The O2 would obviously be a question mark for me if we were playing on the clay,” Murray told BBC Radio 5 live.
“I would go and train and prepare on the clay to get ready for the final.”
The punishing end of season tour schedule was evident none so more than last year, when former World #1 Roger Federer reached the ATP Tour Finals, only to pull out with a back complaint on the morning of the final match.
Federer was also competing in the Davis Cup final a week after the season finale at the O2 Arena, and subsequently lost his opening match against Gael Monfils.
Murray, who is aware of the physical and mental challenges he would have to face if he were to play in both, sited Federer’s fatigue as reason for his own possible omission from the end of season showdown in London.
Should Murray miss the ATP World Tour Finals, he would stand to surrender prize money ranging from £300,000 to £1.25m, 1,500 ATP ranking points and the chance to win the prestigious event for the very first time.
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