Scot returns to Davis Cup fray in Liverpool

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 22:29

GREAT Britain Davis Cup team captain John Lloyd believes Andy Murray is ready to play all he can to help his country beat Poland in their relegation showdown in Liverpool later this month.

World No 2 Murray's return to the Great Britain team was confirmed yesterday as Lloyd named his squad to play the Poles at the Liverpool Echo Arena in a must-win Euro/Africa Group 1 relegation play-off.

Murray, who on Tuesday night comfortably won his US Open first-round match against Latvia's Ernests Gulbis, had missed the Group 1 tie with Ukraine in March, which Lloyd's team lost 4-1.

That defeat sent Britain into the play-off with Poland on 18-20 September, with the home side needing its best player back on board to help achieve the victory that will keep them out of Euro/Africa Group 2.

Murray had told Lloyd last month he was ready to play again having missed the Ukraine tie in Scotland due to a virus, and the GB captain said in New York his leading man was aware he would be needed for both singles and doubles against the Poles.

"I spoke to him as soon as the draw was done and then I stayed away, I didn't want to be pushy," said Lloyd. "He said he would play from the start and I just kept it very low key.

"I saw Andy a couple of weeks ago and I told him I was going to announce it at the US Open and he said 'no problem, I'm ready to go'.

"Obviously it's great to have him in our team and he knows we want three rubbers from him. That's a lot to ask of him but he's No 2 in the world and he's used to pressure.

"He's going to have be there with a walking stick not to play all three days."

Lloyd named Murray in a six-man squad alongside British number two James Ward, Josh Goodall, Dan Evans and doubles specialist Ross Hutchins.

Merseysider Ken Skupsi is also included.