Recently-crowned Wimbledon champion Murray made a decision to withdraw earlier this week citing a demanding summer schedule – his first non-appearance in the competition for three years – while Djokovic pulled out following his shock exit to Sam Querrey at SW19.
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Edmund’s Davis Cup bow came in last year’s final against David Goffin, also on clay, where he battled bravely before surrendering a two-set lead to lose the opening rubber.
‘ I am sure Kyle will be fine, everyone deals with situations differently, but being No. 1 player makes no difference, he has played in the Davis Cup final, that’s tough, it was his first Davis Cup match and he handled it extremely well even though he didn’t win. “Nothing will change. I see this as another good opportunity for me”.
PARIS The Davis Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend but are missing the superstar pulling power of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray and potentially overshadowed by Rafael Nadal’s last-ditch attempt to get to the Rio Olympics.
Tipsarevic did not play at all in 2014 after twice undergoing surgery to remove benign tumours from his left heel and then spent another spell on the sidelines with knee problems. I’m not going to start telling anybody what to do.
Tipsarevic, a former top 10 player now languishing outside the top 400, admits he knows very little about his opponent’s game. The 32-year-old has been trying to find his form and his fitness in 2016, but has managed just one tour-level victory against four losses.
In the absence of the world’s top two players, Janko Tipsarevic will get proceedings underway for the 2010 champions against Kyle Edmund, before Dusan Lajovic faces James Ward.
It’s a choice which captain Leon Smith has called “the right decision” and the British number one has still flown out to Belgrade to support his teammates, with whom he won the giant trophy previous year, because he still feels a “responsibility” to the team.
Tipsarevic, a veteran of 34 ties and 40 wins on the Davis Cup stage, is looking to continue his progression back from a foot injury that has haunted and hindered him since 2013. “It’s generally brought the best out of me so hopefully it happens again this weekend”.
“I know he can play on clay – he’s definitely not your cliché British player that can only play on grass or hard courts”.
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In the doubles, Andy’s brother Jamie, ranked fifth in the world, will partner doubles specialist Dominic Inglot.
