• Davis Cup

Murray and GB to face US on clay

ESPN staff
November 5, 2013
Andy Murray and Great Britain conquered Croatia on clay in September © Getty Images
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Great Britain and the United States will contest their Davis Cup World Group clash on Andy Murray's least-favourite surface of clay at the San Diego Padres' Petco Park baseball stadium.

An anonymous United States Tennis Association source told the San Diego Union-Tribune the match will be played on slow, red clay - although organisers are yet to decide on whether it will be played on red or green clay.

"The feeling is that [Andy] Murray and anyone below him would have trouble on clay," Jeff Ryan of the US Tennis Association said after a news conference on Tuesday. "It's not their preferred surface.

"In between now and then, with Andy still recovering from his surgery and going to Australia and playing there, I don't think they'll have a lot of clay-court experience. The home court advantage is right there. That's it. We're used to getting it against us all the time. We're getting much more comfortable on clay."

British No.1 and Wimbledon champion Murray is currently recovering from minor back surgery he underwent in September, though is targeting a return for the Australian Open in January.

The Scot won his first grand slam on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows in New York last year, though he has only once reached the semi-finals on the Roland Garros clay.

Great Britain did however see off Croatia on clay in Umag two months ago to qualify for the World Group for the first time in five years.

John Isner (14) and Sam Querrey (47) are the United States' highest-ranked players.

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