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 It would be a magnificent occasion with the current world numbers
one and two fueled by national pride and the decibel levels in the
stands pumped up.
Whoever prevailed would probably then be lining up a mouth-watering
clash with Roger Federer's Switzerland.
That scenario is unlikely to happen, however, because the packed ATP
Tour and the Davis Cup schedule are often incompatible for the
leading players and next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will
clutter their plans still further.
Newly-crowned champions Britain are on course for a clash with 2010
winners Serbia in next year's competition, but the chances are that
neither Murray nor Djokovic will be involved, as it falls just after
Wimbledon and with the Olympics looming.
Murray, who almost single-handedly led Britain to their first title
for 79 years on Sunday when he beat David Goffin in Belgium to
complete one of the greatest individual Davis Cup years ever, has
committed to playing in the first round in 2016, a March tie to home
to Japan in Birmingham.
Which is more than Swiss duo Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka did this
year -- deciding against trying to defend the trophy they won in
2014 for the first time by beating France.
A below-strength Swiss side lost to Belgium in the first round.
Djokovic, who led Serbia to victory in 2010, did play against
Croatia in this year's first round but was absent for the
quarter-final loss to Argentina.
Murray has already indicated that next year's quarter-final date
would be "very tricky" and few would blame him if he prioritized his
individual targets having invested so much energy into the cause
this year.
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He said the International Tennis Federation, which runs the Davis
Cup, and the ATP Tour, needs to co-operate more closely to ensure
the big names play every year.
"We played four ties this year and every one of them was a sell-out,
and the atmospheres were really good," Murray told reporters the day
after victory in Ghent.
"It's just the timing of the competition, it would be great if the
ITF and ATP could actually really work together to try to sort
something out.
"The Davis Cup is a great way of promoting tennis and growing the
game and reaching out to new fans but I do think that if they worked
together a bit more they could make it an even better competition."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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