Judy Murray to be Named Britain’s Fed Cup Captain

Written by: Staff on 7th December 2011

Judy Murray to be Named Britain’s Fed Cup Captain

epa01482280 Andy Murray's mother Judy Murray (L) , his girlfriend Kimberly Sears (C), his agent Patricio Apey (R) and British business mogul Sir Richard Branson (back R) applaud from the family box during the men's final on the fifteenth day of the 2008 US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA on 08 September 2008. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

As initially reported in the ‘We Hear’ section of Tennis News yesterday,Judy Murray will today be confirmed as Britain’s new Fed Cup captain and will formally take charge of the team for the first time in Eliat, Israel on January 31 as her team contests the round robin phase of Europe/Africa Zone Group One.

At the same time Murray’s two sons, world no.4 Andy and 35th ranked doubles player Jamie, are expected to be in Britain’s Davis Cup team that will hosts the Slovak Republic in Glasgow.

Matriarch Murray, the former national coach of Scotland, has on occasion been critical of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association on several funding matters. Recently she has become more involved on matters of grassroots participation and the improvement of facilities.

Britain’s top ranked woman player, world no.51 Elena Baltacha applauded the imminent appointment and said: ““It is one of the most exciting things I’ve heard in years. There are few people in the country who know as much at all levels of the game as Judy and I am thrilled at the prospect of learning more from her.”

Baltacha’s coach, Nino Severino, was equally enthused. “This is a reality check for the British game,” he said.

“We are all striving to do the best we can in our different circumstances, we battle really hard to do what we can to improve Bally’s chances, but something like this is a real shot in the arm for the British women’s game.”

Britain’s Fed Cup captaincy has been vacant since Wimbledon in July when previous incumbent Nigel Sears quit his job as the LTA’s Head of Women’s Tennis to return to the WTA circuit coaching former world no.1 Ana Ivanovic.

Leon Smith was subsequently handed responsibility for both the men’s and women’s departments at the LTA’s Roehampton headquarters and he has long been a close confidante of the Murray family, learning his coaching trade as Judy’s no.2 in Scotland.

Topics: Judy Murray