Davis Cup finals 2019: Leon Smith may not select Andy Murray for the quarter-finals
Murray was earlier rested for Britain's group match against Kazakhstan
British captain Leon Smith said that he is facing difficulties deciding whether to include Andy Murray in Great Britain's lineup for their Davis Cup quarter-finals against Germany on Friday.
When Britain booked its last-eight spot after winning their Group E clash against Kazakhstan, Murray wasn't a part of the team. The 32-year-old former World Number One had been rested for the match.
Britain will face Germany today at 16:30 GMT. According to Smith, whether Murray will be left out ahead of today's game will be decided soon.
Smith said, "There is no awkwardness about who is going to play, who isn't going to play, it is a good, open and honest discussion. That's what we will do again. It might be one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make, but it is also better when you have got the quality we've got to be able to have those discussions. We can look at who is in the best physical condition, and look at the match-ups again, linking those factors together to do what is best for the team."
Murray appeared sluggish against Tallon Griekspoor during Great Britain's group stage encounter against the Netherlands. The Briton won that match last Wednesday. However, he later admitted being a bit overweight, with still "a couple of kilos" left to drop. He spoke about gaining weight during a vacation with his newborn son.
In Murray's absence, Kyle Edmund played extremely well and ended up beating Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin. BBC claimed this match to be one of 2019's finest matches. Following Edmund's victory, Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik defeated Dan Evans in three sets.
As of now, Evans hasn't won any match in this year's Davis Cup Finals. Although the 29-year-old is struggling to find his way to a victory, his captain seems to be supporting him. However, if somehow the British brigade decides to include Murray in their quarter-final team, it will be Evans who has more chances of being left out, courtesy of Edmund's recent performance.
According to the new Davis Cup format, six group winners qualified automatically for the last eight. The remaining two spots are being taken by the two best-placed runners-up.
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