Murray has no plans to partner brother Andy at Tokyo Olympics but options still open

There will be no dream team for Tokyo. Instead, Jamie Murray hopes there will be the medal team – Murray and his regular partner Neal Skupski going for gold in Japan.

After their Davis Cup heroics in 2015, it almost seems unthinkable that Andy and Jamie Murray would not play together for their country when the chance presented itself. But six months into his new partnership with Neal Skupski, Jamie has no intention of splitting up a successful team and so damaging his medal chances.

“My plan just now is to play with Neal,” Jamie, inset, said. “Whether Andy is fit or not is a different story. But it depends, I guess, on rankings and things like that. I guess we just have to see closer to the time who’s qualified as well.

“We’ve played a lot of matches, we’ve played against a lot of good teams, we’re going to be playing this year. It makes sense for us to do that but obviously, I guess, if Andy’s fit and healthy, he’ll obviously have a say in what the teams are going to be. Which is fair enough.”

Qualification for the Olympics leaves several options open. Each nation can field up to six male and six female players with no more than four singles players and no more than two doubles teams. Doubles teams qualify on world ranking. In addition, any doubles player with a topten ranking will gain entry and can then play with a partner of choice providing that partner has a world singles or doubles ranking inside the world’s top 300. So, in theory, if Jamie, pictured, currently No 25, and Skupski break into the top ten by 8 June, they could each play with another partner.

“Joe [Salisbury] is there, Andy’s there if he’s fit and would want to play,” Jamie added. “I guess it’s for the LTA to decide who the best two teams are.

“It’s not something I’ve spent masses of time thinking about because at the end of the day, it’s one tournament.

“My focus this year is trying to do the best I can with Neal. The Olympics is not going to change that, whether I play with Neal or someone else.

“Our goal is to finish as high up the rankings as we can.” On the evidence of their end to last season and their start to this one (a semi-final finish in Adelaide for the partnership and two wins from four at the ATP Cup for Jamie where he partnered Salisbury), moving up the rankings is well within their reach. A good run in Melbourne would help.

“We played some good tennis last season,” Jamie said. “We played three tough matches in Adelaide. I feel good coming into Open.”