Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has raised a few eyebrows after unveiling his plan, via his marketing company, to rejuvenate the Davis Cup by giving it a fresh twist to broaden its appeal.

Andy Murray, who was on court for just shy of three hours, looked physically spent at the end of the 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 and admitted after that he is not in the best shape and so it was logical to rest him on Thursday.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Andy Murray was sitting on the team bench, contorted with anxiety, while his elder brother was heroically trying to force GB into the Davis Cup final.

The 32-year-old was reduced to the role of anxious spectator after taking nearly three hours to defeat little-known Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the opening group match.

Former world No 1 Andy Murray has revealed how he 'was pretty much done with tennis' as he struggled with the physical and mental pain of his serious injury.

Murray is currently sidelined through injury, this time pelvic bruising that has kept him out of action since November, with no indication yet when he will be able to make his comeback.

Judy Murray will reportedly take part in Celebrity MasterChef 2020.

Woodward is a divisive figure among United fans, especially while the club struggle in the lower echelons of the Premier League, and now new light has been shed on the club's chief.

Coleen Rooney partied until 4am for friend Leanne Brown's 40th in Manchester as Rebekah Vardy arrived home in tears after holiday in Dubai. Coleen told Vardy 'bring it on' for legal battle.

IVAN SPECK AT THE VALLEY: Judging by Saturday's abject surrender at The Valley, the Wayne Rooney era at Derby cannot come soon enough.

Wayne Rooney doted on son Kit before enjoying a day of watersports with his boys and father-in-law Tony as he continued his 34th birthday celebrations in Barbados on Thursday.

The 36ft-high replica of the Commons Speaker (pictured), which shows him holding the heads of both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, will go up in flames on Saturday night.

A host of famous faces ploughed money into a scheme which allowed them to claim tax relief if they invested in the building of two data centres in Tyneside, north-east England.

The former Manchester United and England captain is unable to make his debut for the Rams until January, after signing an 18-month contract following his departure from MLS side DC United.

The fans chanted his name for months before he had even laced up his boots and his presence has been the highlight of a low season for Derby. Rams fans will remember the name Wayne Rooney.

INTERVIEW BY IAN HERBERT: Rooney, who faces United as Derby's player-coach in the FA Cup Fifth Round, cited Liverpool - a club he has no love for - as one of the models of success.

Wayne Rooney has criticised the government and the football authorities for treating players as 'guinea pigs' in their confused message over the coronavirus outbreak.

Gary Neville has recalled the time he tried to relinquish his captaincy duties at United only for Ferguson to emphatically shut him down as he was worried of feuds breaking in the camp.

EXCLUSIVE BY SAMI MOKBEL: Sportsmail exclusively revealed how Rooney was acting on behalf of the squad in their battle against proposals to impose a 50 per cent wage deferral.

Sportsmail revealed last week that former England skipper Rooney was at the centre of tense talks with the Championship side, who had proposed 50 per cent wage deferrals to protect the club.

Derby County's first-team players and management have reached the end of their dramatic stand-off with the club by agreeing 'substantial' deferrals to their wages to help the Championship side.

Stefanos Tsitsipas launched an extraordinary outburst at umpire Damien Dumusois as he tumbled out of the US Open against inspired Russian Andrey Rublev.

The hardman footballer-turned-actor told the Sunday Mirror he cried 'almost every night' since his wife of 25 years died in their Hollywood home on July 6.

Anna McNuff has arrived in Wimbledon, London, after running 2,620 miles from the Shetland Isles, today. She hopes to show girls 'doing things that scare them, big or small, can be incredible'.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF), Wimbledon, and the US and French Opens have donated more than £300,000 to the Australian Bushfire relief efforts.

The 23-year-old, who was on the bench for Saturday's FA Cup win over Barnsley, has recovered after surgery on his right knee and has been back in the first team frame in recent weeks.

Marcus Wareing's Wimbledon home was broken into last year. The gang took his gold Rolex, two Omega watches worth £12,000, and another watch engraved with 'Hell's Kitchen'.

MIKE DICKSON: Holed up in her London flat, the usually globetrotting Jo Konta is clinging to the distant hope that Wimbledon might be saved from the cull of major summer sporting events.

Wimbledon chiefs have no plans to try to move this year's tournament back into the now vacant Olympics slot - despite it offering two more weeks for the coronavirus crisis to lift.

The R&A moved swiftly on Thursday to knock down a report from America that the Open would suffer the same fate as Wimbledon and be cancelled.

Fan John Presley became alarmed when he couldn't find his favourite Fray Bentos corned beef in supermarket in Burnham on Sea. He believes the brand owners have lost touch with their customers.

The alleged theft was caught on CCTV from inside the porch of the family home of Aisha Adedeji, 26, in Bromely, South-East London.

Police were called to Nathaniel Suggitt's house in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, where they found his body with multiple stab wounds on Saturday.

Findus-style beef and onion crispy pancakes will be available in supermarket freezers in the UK from 25 February, after Birds Eye developed a new recipe for the classic treat.

A mother who suffers with multiple sclerosis is accusing the DWP of wrongly cutting her off from disability benefits after JobCentre staff received a fraud claim tip-off (pictured, Clare Slater).

UK beef farmers told Asda and Sainsbury's that the move to stock Polish beef instead is 'unacceptable', adding: 'Please do not play a part in killing British agriculture. Remember, once it's gone, it's gone.'

Just a day after arch-rival Airbus said it was 'bleeding cash' and may not survive, Boeing boss David Calhoun said: 'It is difficult to estimate when the situation will stabilise.'

Think-tank Reform is calling on Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor (pictured), to let businesses bring back employees on reduced hours but still receive some state support as lockdown is lifted.

Chief exec Steve Rowe (pictured) will still take his full £810,000 salary plus bonuses this year despite asking long-suffering savers and the taxpayer to prop up the ailing business.

Sunweb is said to have initially offered customers a full refund by March 31 after Tomorrowland Winter at the French resort Alpe d'Huez, was called off because of the coronavirus.

William Hill is benefiting to the tune of over £30m per month from the wage subsidy scheme and the business rates holiday, while Paddy Power is saving £400,000 per month in business rates.

Under chief exec Charles Woodburn, 49, BAE Systems is fighting a very different war against the deadly coronavirus and is turning its formidable engineering expertise to helping the NHS.

Alexis Sanchez agreed to a new Arsenal contract before staging a last minute U-turn, according to the club's former transfer negotiator Dick Law.

United failed to replace Lukaku before Thursday's transfer deadline, but Solskjaer believes his departure will benefit Mason Greenwood and the more fluid forward line he wants in his team.

Alexis Sanchez featured in a behind-closed-doors Manchester United fixture against Sheffield United, as he prepares to end his Old Trafford nightmare and seal a summer move to Inter Milan.

ADAM SHERGOLD: The transfer window in Europe's leading leagues closes on Monday and we could well see some of the continent's elite clubs involved in a scramble for some big stars.

Inter Milan chief Beppe Marotta has insisted that Mauro Icardi remains out of the reckoning under Antonio Conte. Icardi has been largely ignored since Conte arrived as manager.

Alexis Sanchez posted a farewell message to his Manchester United teammates after sealing a move to Inter Milan.

Sanchez, 30, has endured a torrid spell in Manchester since joining the United from Arsenal 18 months ago, netting three times in 32 appearances for the club.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: How kind of Inter Milan's ultras to clarify for Lukaku, or any other black person who might be confused by all strange noises, what exactly constitutes racism.