Andy Murray announces his withdrawal last week from the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships with a viral illness.
Andy Murray announces his withdrawal last week from the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships with a viral illness.

Murray pulls out of Davis Cup match



LONDON // Andy Murray will miss Britain's Davis Cup match against Ukraine this week because of a lingering virus. Murray said today he has not sufficiently recovered from the illness that forced him to pull out of the quarter-finals of last week's Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. Murray, the world No 4, has decided to withdraw from the British team that will face Ukraine in the Europe/Africa Zone second-round match starting Friday at the Braehead Arena near Glasgow in Scotland following advice from his doctor.

"Obviously, I'm very disappointed that I won't be playing in Glasgow this week, but the doctor has told me that I need complete rest for at least seven days, and I have to respect that," said Murray, who has won ATP titles in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Rotterdam this season. "I hoped that pulling out of Dubai when I did would give me enough time to recover, but this virus has hit me harder than any illness I've had before and I still feel terrible."

Britain's Davis Cup captain John Lloyd said he would consult with coach Paul Annacone on who should replace Murray on the team. *AP

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hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

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