Team-bonding works wonders for Andy Murray

Umag, Croatia: British tennis fans can hardly complain if, after another exhausting and historic season, Andy Murray’s shots and synapses failed to fire with their usual precision at the US Open. By succumbing in the quarter-final to Stanislas Wawrinka, he gave himself more time to prepare for his first Davis Cup outing since 2011.

Murray gave Great Britain the expected start in their attempt to return to the elite World Group in the Davis Cup against Croatia in Umag when he routed 16-year-old Bora Coric 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 on Friday.

But later in the day, Ivan Dodig levelled matters for the Croats when he beat Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Murray and fellow Scot Colin Fleming will take on Dodig and Mate Pavic in the doubles at 4pm UAE time on Saturday, before the return singles rubbers on Sunday.

Having caught a private jet to the Istrian coast last Sunday, Murray spent the next five days practising in the beautiful holiday resort of Umag. After the breathless hurly-burly of New York, the serenity of this venue has had the same restorative effect as the original plink-plink-fizz. Murray might not be at his most comfortable on clay — the surface for the World Group play-off against Croatia — but he has enjoyed the chance to bond with the rest of the British squad.

“It’s nice to be around a bunch of guys that you get on well with,” he said. “Being in a team atmosphere does help when you’re used to being on your own the whole time.”

How, then, would he respond to the popular theory that he suffered a post-Wimbledon hangover, culminating in that uncharacteristically limp quarter-final exit to Stan Wawrinka eight days ago? Is this just pop psychology, or did the effort of finally exorcising Fred Perry’s ghost take too much out of him? Like many athletes, Murray is wary of analysing his own form too closely. But he did acknowledge the issue.

“That last game of the match [the Wimbledon final], although it was 10 minutes, that was pretty stressful,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure. I don’t know if there have been many players who have ever played under that much pressure. Whether it was just those 10 or 15 minutes, I don’t know. It was a lot to take in. There was a lot of pressure and stress in that period. Whether that affected how I played over the summer, I’ve no idea.”

This tie will be held at one of the prettiest little stadiums on the tour, the 4,000-seat Stella Maris Stadium. Perched on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, it backs on to a tree-fringed lagoon, where the last of the summer’s sunbathers cock an ear to the rhythmic pock-pack-pock of ball on racket. If Arsene Wenger described visiting Fenerbahce as a trip to hell, this feels more like a passport to paradise.

Meanwhile, his teammate Evans made it to the last 32 at the US Open, and could have gone even further had he not wasted chances to level his third-round match against Tommy Robredo at two sets all. Has his recent visibility affected his life? Evans shrugged.

“Not much has changed really, a few more people have said well done and I’ve got a few more followers on Twitter,” he said. “Before I knew it we were coming out to Croatia and it was back to training.”

Evans and Murray could hardly be more different. One of them is a noted hellraiser who virtually owns his own bar-stool at the Midlands nightspot Apres Solihull. The other drinks alcohol so rarely that, after a glass of champagne on last year’s flight back from New York, he found himself cleaning his teeth with face-cream. But they are fond of each other and both enjoy the craic of being part of a team.