Andy Murray is ready to roar back as part of Team GB in the Davis Cup quarter-finals

  • Andy Murray lost 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to Roger Federer in his Wimbledon semi-final
  • The 28-year-old now has to pick himself up for the Davis Cup next Friday 
  • Great Britain will attempt to reach the semi-finals of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1981 
  • The prestige match will be against France at London’s Queen’s Club

Andy Murray cut a somewhat more anonymous figure at the All England Club on Saturday, arriving incognito to watch his brother play the men’s doubles final.

Sitting in a green sweatshirt with wife Kim in the seats behind the official players’ box, he gazed down upon the hallowed turf where 24 hours previously he had been put to the sword by Roger Federer.

Saturday might not have been very relaxing, yet there is no time for the usual leisurely post-Wimbledon break because next Friday he will be playing in front of a crowd which, in its own way, will be as febrile as the one present for his clash with the Swiss master. And it will be almost 100 per cent supportive, too.

Andy Murray, who lost his singles semi-final against Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 on Friday, cheered his brother

Andy Murray (left) arrived incognito to watch his older brother Jamie play in the men’s doubles final

The 28-year-old must now pick himself up for Team GB's Davis Cup quarter-final against France next Friday

The 28-year-old must now pick himself up for Team GB's Davis Cup quarter-final against France next Friday

That is when Great Britain will attempt to reach the semi-finals of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1981 with a prestige match against France at London’s Queen’s Club.

It should be the perfect way to forget about the disappointment of a singles semi-final defeat, focusing on a different type of tennis cocooned by the support of friends and team-mates.

Not that it will be easy, because the world No 3 is likely to have to win two singles and the doubles with Jamie if GB are to beat a French team featuring Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet, quarter- finalist Gilles Simon plus Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

‘Next weekend I will be motivated and pumped,’ said Murray.

Andy Murray is likely to have to win two singles and the doubles with Jamie (pictured) if GB are to win

Andy Murray is likely to have to win two singles and the doubles with Jamie (pictured) if GB are to win

‘That’s the nicest thing about the Davis Cup — being in a team and around the guys. 

‘All of us get on very well together, we’ve had some unbelievable weeks together, so hopefully this will be another one.

‘It’s more the next few days, I know I need to prepare properly for that tie if I want to play well there.

‘But, obviously and understandably, the next few days might be quite tough.

‘I prefer to lose having played well than having played badly because then I don’t feel that I’ve let myself down. 

‘Sometimes when I come off the court and I haven’t played well I feel terrible afterwards. 

‘You feel you’ve let yourself down, your team down and everyone who supports you. 

‘But I tried my best and I played well. Unfortunately, Roger played unbelievably and there wasn’t much I could do.’

Murray agreed that Federer could be bracketed with a great football team such as Barcelona, who could frustrate the likes of Manchester United when they were managed by one of his most high-profile supporters, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Murray lost 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to Roger Federer in his Wimbledon semi-final and afterwards hailed the Swiss

Murray lost 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to Roger Federer in his Wimbledon semi-final and afterwards hailed the Swiss

‘If you want to compare Roger to Barcelona then you can, especially on this surface and with what he’s done here because I really don’t think you will see anything like him again for a very, very long time.’

Whatever happens at the Davis Cup there is no reason why Friday’s result should derail what has been an excellent season for Murray. 

Once the match in the sport’s premier team event is over he ought to be able to have a proper week off and then start preparing for his first event of the North American run-in to the US Open which is, unusually, the Citi Open in Washington DC.

Despite his frustrating loss to Federer, Murray’s trajectory remains an upward one this year

Despite his frustrating loss to Federer, Murray’s trajectory remains an upward one this year

It is notorious for its sweaty temperatures and prior to that he is likely to spend a week at his Miami base reacquainting himself with high heat and humidity.

Taken as a whole, Murray’s trajectory remains an upward one this year. In fact, a look at his performances compared to 2014 makes that case inarguable.

There have been seven tournaments he has played this season that he also played last year (excluding the Italian Open, which he withdrew from). 

In those he has improved his result in five, including Wimbledon, and reached the same stage in the other two.

Amelie Mauresmo will no longer be Murray's coach for the time being as she is due to give birth in August

Amelie Mauresmo will no longer be Murray's coach for the time being as she is due to give birth in August

Added to that is breaking his duck when it comes to clay court titles by winning the ATP events in Munich and Madrid, so a Wimbledon semi-final loss to an inspired Federer should not be the cause for any longer-term setback.

One thing that will be different from here on is the absence of his coach Amelie Mauresmo, who will be off the scene as she prepares to give birth in August.

She has previously said that she will return from maternity leave in time for the Paris indoor Masters in early November.

Jonas Bjorkman will be in sole charge until then but, given how the Swede has seamlessly stepped in so far, that should prove no great disruption to team Murray.

 

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