John Lloyd resigned from the Davis Cup captaincy over a week ago and levelled a parting shot, surprisingly, at Murray, rather than the organisation that failed to produce players capable of beating opponents ranked over 200 places below them.
Lloyd said: "Call me old-fashioned, but when is it a convenience, not a privilege, to play for your country?"
"If England's team had failed to qualify for the World Cup, would it be OK for Wayne Rooney to turn around and say that he didn't think he'd bother playing for the international team until they had some proper matches, or a team worthy of his time? Of course not."
Good example, but a bad analogy for Davis Cup. The World Cup only comes around once every four years and the footballing world makes way for qualification matches and the main tournament itself. Yes, it adds extra fixtures to the players' schedules, but they are not so distracting as Davis Cup ties, which can take players half way around the world onto a different playing surface just days before or after major tournaments.
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When Murray played the tie against Poland last year he was still nursing a wrist injury which he picked up shortly before at the US Open. After the tie, which they lost despite the British number one winning his two singles rubbers, Murray had to take six weeks off from the tour to allow his wrist to recover.
"I have to do what is best for my career" - Murray
The World Cup is the pinnacle of a footballing career, Davis Cup isn't the equivalent for tennis, an individual sport in which players are judged on individual achievements: Grand Slams. Murray's every move on the journey towards that goal is scrutinised. Would the critics who have questioned his dedication to the Great British team also question his decision to play for a Davis Cup team that stood no chance of winning the trophy if he were to end his career without having won a Grand Slam? Almost certainly. And there is no sporting commentator who would deny Roger Federer the label of the best player in the game's history because he has never won Davis Cup.
It is not suprising then, that Murray was disappointed with Lloyd's comments. "I would rather he was a little more supportive," the world number three told BBC Radio Five Live. "I have to do what is best for my career."
And what is best for his career is focusing all his efforts on winning a grand slam title, a feat that only four different players have achieved in the past five years. Playing Davis Cup is not the same as it was in days of Lloyd and McEnroe (another critic of players who don't represent their country). It is a potential distraction that players can ill afford as the demands on their bodies and minds are higher than they have ever been before.
Jamie Murray made a very pertinent point via his Facebook status: Who's going to be the next davis cup captain I am asked...surely there are more important things that need addressed I answer. The dispute between Andy Murray and Lloyd has distracted attention from the real issue here - the fact that the LTA is still failing to produce top quality men.
Judy Murray didn't comment on the Davis Cup debate but did criticise the LTA's method for producing champions. She told BBC Jersey that she has not been asked for her input into the current LTA system, adding: "I certainly would tell them if they asked me." She believes that the LTA teaches children how to play tennis but not how to win, which has been evidenced in Davis Cup performances by the likes of Dan Evans and Alex Bogdanovic.
There is an odd dynamic in the relationship between Judy Murray and the LTA. She blogs for the website and is an ambassador for parents involved in the LTA system, running questions and answer sessions and offering advice. Yet she is not shy in being openly critical of the organisation, which is prompts one to question the relationship the LTA has with its employees.
One last observation on the LTA. I regularly use Carnegie Tennis Centre in Leeds, one of the LTA's high performance centres, according to its website. I recently turned up for a game with some friends to find the net on the court (and another) had been lowered. We went to ask the staff for a net winder and were met with some umming and aahing.
A member of staff turned up first with what turned out to be the wrong tool. When he found the right one, he didn't know how to use it. We eventually, just about, got our net to the right height but had already lost 15 precious minutes of our £15-an-hour court time. I should say that we were offered the opportunity to stay on beyond our two hours for an extra 15 minutes to make up for this. There is often litter on the courts at Carnegie and the netting dividing the courts is either ragged or non-existent.
Make of that what you will.
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