Andy Murray cannot help but look ahead after Davis Cup quarter-final opponent Italy confirmed it will host the visiting Brits in Naples. The chaotic southern metropolis will be like nothing the team has likely ever experienced, with the general confusion factor of life in an urban casbah possibly a major stumbling point for the visitors for the April 4-6 tie.
“To play in Italy on red clay it will for sure not at all be easy,” Murray, heading for hardcourts in Acapulco this week, told British media. “The Italians are tough to play against on clay and they are more used to that surface than our players are. I’ve played few times against Italian players in Italy, and their fans are very passionate and warm. It will be a test for our toughness.”
The seventh-ranked Scot, whose ranking has slid since he won Wimbledon last summer, will head the British effort after serving as point man this month for a first-round win over the US in San Diego. Italy will be counting on Fabio Fognini, winner of all three points over Argentina in the first round and ATP champion in Chile this month while finishing runner-up in Argentina.
“Fabio is playing very well at the moment, he is very close to break into the top 10. He is very talented and he can play well on all surfaces,” said Murray. “I’ve known him since he was 12, he always like to put up a show on court, he has always been a showman. But now he understood mentally the level he has been able to reach, he knows he is a player worth of a spot in the top 10.”
Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Atp, Davis Cup, Naples, Sports, Team Britain, Tennis, Tennis News
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