Andy Murray will have to contend with the most demanding summer of his career after sending Great Britain through to a Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia.

The sides, who between them boast the top two players in the world in Murray and Novak Djokovic, will clash in July, less than a week after the Wimbledon final.

That is followed in quick succession by a Masters tournament in Canada, the Olympics – where Murray could play singles, doubles and mixed doubles – another Masters in Cincinnati, the US Open and a potential Davis Cup semi-final.

Cincinnati appears the obvious one to skip but, even then, trying to peak at the right times will be hugely challenging.

Murray said: “I think you can focus on all of them but you also have to be realistic about your performance. You are unlikely to play your best in all of them and physically you are unlikely to feel perfect.

“Wimbledon should be fine and the Davis Cup, but it is the accumulation of weeks and matches that you play, so by the Olympics and the US Open I would imagine you start to feel fatigued.

“It is completely normal and that is why with your team you have to be forward thinking and planning days off in advance. Even if it is just a couple of days off, after the Davis Cup, three or four days, they add up.

“After the Olympics, if it means missing Cincinnati and taking a week off ahead of the US Open, it is just about being smart, managing your time and body as best as you can.”

Packed calendar

The packed calendar made it all the more surprising that Murray committed so strongly to playing in as many ties as Britain have in the competition this year.

Djokovic has not yet followed suit and it will be interesting to see whether Murray’s stance forces his hand.

As the hosts, Serbia will choose the surface, and it is not an easy decision.

Most teams playing at home to Britain opt for clay but that may not favour Serbia anyway and, with the Olympics to be played on hard courts, that is the logical choice.

Quarter-final draw
Serbia vs Britain
Italy vs Argentina
Czech Rep. vs France
USA vs Croatia

Matches to be played on July 15-17

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