Roger Federer says that last year after he won the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, he chose to practice on clay for the Davis Cup final in France despite the ATP World Finals being played on hard courts. Andy Murray could use a similar strategy, Federer said, but the Scot has yet to decide whether he will play both the ATP Tour Finals and Davis Cup.
"I did go practice on clay after Shanghai, I think, for a few days before going to Basel, I believe," he said, after being upset in the first round of Shanghai on Tuesday. "Then I played the schedule through. Just got really unlucky at the end of London, like we all know. Then it was a race for Lille [France] for the Davis Cup final."
Federer played Basel, Paris and the ATP World Tour Finals, where he pulled out with a back injury in the final against Novak Djokovic. Switzerland won the Davis Cup final, 3-1 over France.
Murray has yet to decide whether he will play the ATP World Tour Finals, which runs November 15-22 at The O2 Arena in London. The tournament is mandatory for those who qualify, and the world No. 2 has qualified.
Great Britain will face Belgium November 27-29 in Ghent, Belgium on indoor clay. The Scot has said that he is worried playing on hard courts in London might mean he will not have enough time to practice on clay before the tie starts in Belgium.
"Only Amelie [Mauresmo] knows. The rest is up for debate what he wants to do. Like I said, it's a great dilemma to have," Federer said. "He has to set the priorities what's the most important to him right now. Both are sort of in his home country, if you will. It's a big deal, both of them. So I don't know. For me, it all worked out at the end of the day. I thought I could play both. But, of course, it's a close call."
Murray has said that the Davis Cup final is extremely important because Britain hasn’t won the title since 1939.
"I have to do what’s best for me. If everything goes well and my back feels good training on the clay beforehand, then I’ll be there at the O2," Murray said. "It’s a tournament I enjoy playing and it’s a nice reward for the hard work you put in throughout the year. But the Davis Cup is my main priority between that and the end of the year. I want to make sure I’m fit and healthy for that."