Stepanek displays nerves of steel to seal Davis Cup glory November 17, 2013 WORLD No2 Novak Djokovic was denied Davis Cup victory yesterday, after Radek Stepanek held his nerve to win the decisive rubber for Czech Republic against Serbia in Belgrade. Trailing 2-1 going into the final day’s play, Djokovic beat 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 to set up a deciding match. But Stepanek, 34, [...]
Cautious Murray casts doubt over his Australian Open participation October 31, 2013 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray admits he is yet to hit a ball almost six weeks after his back operation and fears he may not be ready for the Australian Open. The Wimbledon champion is desperate to play in Melbourne, where he has reached the final three times in four years, but is adamant he will only [...]
Tennis chief rejects useless tag and vows to mine Murray factor September 24, 2013 INCOMING Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Michael Downey has hit back at claims the organisation is “useless” and outlined his plan to capitalise on Andy Murray’s Wimbledon success. Last year All-Party Tennis Group chair Baroness Billingham said the £640,000 salary earned by Downey’s predecessor Roger Draper was unjustified. But Canadian Downey, who will earn £300,000 [...]
Exclusive: Beat USA and British Davis Cup run is on, says Rusedski September 18, 2013 GREAT Britain can mount a genuine challenge for a first Davis Cup in 80 years if they can overcome a tricky tie against the United States, says former British No1 Greg Rusedski. The nine-time champions have not passed round one of the World Group since current standard-bearer Andy Murray was born, and will have to [...]
Britain braced for Davis Cup draw September 17, 2013 TENNIS: Unseeded Great Britain will learn the identity of their first Davis Cup world group opponents at a draw in London this morning. Britain, ranked 18th, returned to the elite group for the first time in five years at the weekend with victory over Croatia.
Murray hands Great Britain double boost in Davis Cup September 15, 2013 WIMBLEDON champion Andy Murray has pledged to play a full part in the Davis Cup after leading Great Britain back into the competition’s top division for the first time in five years. Murray clinched victory over Croatia with a straight-sets triumph over Ivan Dodig yesterday, his third point of the tie having also beaten teenager [...]
Wimbledon win hit Murray’s US Open – Rusedski September 8, 2013 FORMER British No1 Greg Rusedski believes Andy Murray hid the extent of a back problem during his ill-fated US Open defence, and that winning Wimbledon harmed his chances at Flushing Meadows. Murray looked out of sorts in Thursday’s straight-sets quarter-final defeat to ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, yet played down stiffness in his back. Rusedski believes [...]
British tennis ace Hutchins reveals cancer remission news on Twitter July 22, 2013 BRITISH tennis star Ross Hutchins confirmed yesterday he is in remission from cancer. The Commonwealth Games silver medallist, who specialises in doubles and counts Wimbledon champion Andy Murray among his best friends, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December and underwent a six-month course of chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea. And Hutchins, 28, [...]
Tennis ace Murray buys a hotel in plan to repay his home town February 25, 2013 BRITAIN’S No1 tennis player Andy Murray has splashed out £1.8m to acquire a hotel in Dunblane, the planned development of which he hopes will provide a major boost to the economy in his home town. The Cromlix House Hotel, where his brother Jamie married wife Alejandra Gutierrez in 2010, is a Victorian Mansion, which Murray [...]
Murray voices his fears over tennis doping February 4, 2013 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray has called on fellow players to sacrifice a portion of their earnings in order to fund more rigorous drug testing in tennis, admitting he does not know whether the sport can be called clean. Murray yesterday passionately argued for more blood testing and the introduction of the biological passport system in order [...]