Wimbledon’s Ross Hutchins reckons best mate Andy Murray deserves a rest from Davis Cup action and it is time the rest of the Brits filled the void.

The world number four has pulled out of the British team’s relegation clash with Turkey in Eastbourne next month insisting it is time the country’s younger players got used to winning without him.

Doubles specialist Hutchins - currently ranked 60th in the world - is not in the team having been usurped by Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming in recent months.

Defeat to the Turks will see Britain relegated to Euro-Africa Division Three - the bottom tier of the event - but the former KCS Wimbledon student is having none of it.

“More players need to be given the chance to come through,” he said.

“Andy has done a terrific job for British tennis and has a phenomenal Davis Cup record. He deserves to take a break to concentrate on winning matches and tournaments.

“We need to start proving we can win matches without him and I’m sure we can do that against Turkey.”

Critics have often made out British players to be satisfied with trudging around the Challenger tours, but Hutchins says that is far from the truth.

“There are young players coming through who are working their socks off,” he said.

“It is frustrating when people criticise. There are some very talented 17 and 18-year-olds coming up and I’m sure we are going to see the best of them very soon.”