Andy Murray sacrifices attending his grandmother’s funeral to represent Great Britain in the Davis Cup 2023
Proud Murray dedicates Davis Cup win to late grandmother
Emotions ran high as Andy Murray tearfully dedicated his Davis Cup victory to his beloved grandmother Ellen. The tennis star revealed that he had missed her funeral as it coincided with his match against Switzerland.
In a hard-fought battle against Leandro Riedi, Murray emerged triumphant with a score of 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-4, giving Great Britain an impressive start in the tournament.
Overwhelmed by the occasion, Murray expressed heartfelt apologies to his family for not being present at the funeral. He then dedicated the win to his late grandmother during an emotional on-court interview: “I’m sorry to my family I’m not able to be there. Gran, this one is for you.”
Murray further shared that he sought advice from his father who encouraged him to play despite the circumstances. His father’s words resonated deeply: “‘She’d want you to play,’ he said. ‘Make sure you win’ – so I did.”
The weight of grief was evident as Murray sat on his chair after the match with tears streaming down his face and head buried under a towel. The crowd at Manchester’s AO Arena responded empathetically with another round of applause for their tennis hero.
Against Riedi, making his Davis Cup debut and displaying remarkable skill and resilience throughout the game, three-time Grand Slam champion Murray demonstrated both quality and experience in clinching this crucial victory.
“It’s incredible,” exclaimed a relieved but amazed Murray after securing the win. “It easily could have gone the other way.” He acknowledged Riedi’s exceptional shot-making ability and impressive returns.
With this triumph, Murray set Great Britain on the path towards victory in the group-stage tie, as they strive for a place in November’s eight-team knockout stage. However, British number one Cameron Norrie could not secure another win against three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka, losing 7-5, 6-4 later in the day.
Nevertheless, Dan Evans and Neal Skupski ensured a second consecutive win for Great Britain by defeating Swiss pair Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Stricker with a score of 6-3, 6-3.
The group-stage event held at Manchester features four nations – Britain, Australia, France, and Switzerland – competing against each other once in a round-robin format. The top two countries will advance to the knockout stage known as the ‘Final Eight,’ which will take place in Malaga this November.