Britain’s Davis Cup winning team (from left) Andy Murray, James Ward, Dominic Inglot, captain Leon Smith, Kyle Edmund and Jamie Murray pose with British PM David Cameron in London yesterday. Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years in Ghent on Nov 29 when Murray beat David Goffin 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead over Belgium. (AFP)


Reuters/London


Fast-forward to next July and picture the scene with great rivals Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Britain’s Andy Murray going toe-to-toe in a thrilling Davis Cup quarter-final.
It would be a magnificent occasion with the current world numbers one and two fuelled by national pride and the decibel levels in the stands pumped up.
Whoever prevailed would probably then be lining up a mouth-watering clash with Roger Federer’s Switzerland.
That scenario is unlikely to happen, however, because the packed ATP Tour and the Davis Cup schedule are often incompatible for the leading players and next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will clutter their plans still further.
Newly-crowned champions Britain are on course for a clash with 2010 winners Serbia in next year’s competition, but the chances are that neither Murray nor Djokovic will be involved, as it falls just after Wimbledon and with the Olympics looming.
Murray, who almost single-handedly led Britain to their first title for 79 years on Sunday when he beat David Goffin in Belgium to complete one of the greatest individual Davis Cup years ever, has committed to playing in the first round in 2016, a March tie to home to Japan in Birmingham.
Which is more than Swiss duo Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka did this year—deciding against trying to defend the trophy they won in 2014 for the first time by beating France.
A below-strength Swiss side lost to Belgium in the first round. Djokovic, who led Serbia to victory in 2010, did play against Croatia in this year’s first round but was absent for the quarter-final loss to Argentina.
Murray has already indicated that next year’s quarter-final date would be “very tricky” and few would blame him if he prioritised his individual targets having invested so much energy into the cause this year.
He said the International Tennis Federation, which runs the Davis Cup, and the ATP Tour, needs to co-operate more closely to ensure the big names play every year.
“We played four ties this year and every one of them was a sell-out, and the atmospheres were really good,” Murray told reporters the day after victory in Ghent.
“It’s just the timing of the competition, it would be great if the ITF and ATP could actually really work together to try to sort something out.
“The Davis Cup is a great way of promoting tennis and growing the game and reaching out to new fans but I do think that if they worked together a bit more they could make it an even better competition.”   
Murray said he is looking ahead to adding more Grand Slam silverware to his collection next year.
The 28-year-old played more than 100 matches this year and worked overtime against Belgium in Ghent at the weekend to ensure Britain won the trophy for the first time since 1936.
While the Scot intends to enjoy a 10-day break after a punishing season, it will then be straight back to work as he begins looking ahead to the Australian Open in January—a tournament in which he has been runner-up four times.
“The most important thing is, yes, enjoy it now, but don’t let it go on for like three weeks and stop practising hard and going to the gym and doing everything properly,” the 28-year-old, winner of the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon a year later,
told reporters before heading home from Belgium.
“I need to train really hard in the off-season if I want to have a chance of making this count for next year.
“I hope (winning the Davis Cup) will be an inspiration. It’s definitely given me a boost going into the off-season.
“I’ve been close (in Australia) a number of years. I haven’t won there but I think I’ve often played my best tennis. I really like the conditions, the courts.
“That’s obviously my next big goal.”
Thanks largely to Murray’s incredible record in the Davis Cup since 2013, Britain now head the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings and will begin next year’s competition as top seeds when they face Japan in March.
Murray, who won 11 of Britain’s 12 rubbers this year, including three doubles with brother Jamie, said the ranking was well-deserved.
“For five years I think we have lost two matches, and even against Italy last year it went to a fifth rubber,” he said.
He believes the title can inspire the likes of James Ward, Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans to improve their rankings. “I think in the last few weeks they all won Challenger events because this final was huge motivation, and now it’s about taking that form and level into next year,” he said.
Murray is expecting his first child with wife Kim in February but is planning to play against Japan in Birmingham as Britain begin the defence of their title.