France choose indoor clay for Davis Cup tie

tennis: Opponents opt for Murray’s least favourite surface for quarter-final meeting

Great Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final against France will be played on indoor clay in Rouen, the French Tennis Federation has announced.

Andy Murray is expected to return for the tie at the Palais des Sports, after sitting out Britain’s 3-2 victory over Canada in the World Group first round earlier this month.

The tie will be contested over the weekend beginning April 7, five days after the Miami Open, which is played outdoors on hard courts.

If Murray were to go far in Miami, it would leave the world No 1 little time to adjust to the change of surface.

And while Britain overcame the French team at the same stage en route to winning the Davis Cup in 2015, that victory came on Murray’s favoured grass at Queen’s.

Clay is the Scot’s least successful surface at the grand slams – he has never won the French Open – but the 29-year-old has improved on the red sand, beating Novak Djokovic to win in Rome last year, before losing to the Serb in the final at Roland Garros.

British No 2 Dan Evans has never enjoyed playing on clay but Kyle Edmund is more comfortable on slower courts.

France, who beat Japan 4-1 in their opening match, boast an impressive strength in depth, with 11 men currently ranked in the top 100 singles players compared to Britain’s relatively paltry three.

Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert are also the world No 1 and 2 respectively in doubles.

But Murray remains Britain’s trump card, as he showed by playing a part in all three winning rubbers against France two years ago and his brother Jamie is a former doubles world No 1.

Edmund, meanwhile, advanced to the second round at the Delray Beach Open when his opponent Adrian Mannarino handed him a 6-3 6-0 victory.

Mannarino was penalised a game for smashing a ball out of the court in anger as Edmund led 6-3 5-0 and 15-0.

Andy Murray: would face a quick turnaround after Miami Open.