Gentle controversy is as much a part of County Week as calling your own lines and standing during the changes of ends, and it emerged yesterday that Andy Murray's older brother, Jamie, was quietly informed by officials from the Lawn Tennis Association that playing in the amateur doubles competition could possibly jeopardise his future funding.

County Week at Eastbourne is one of the LTA's own events, but some at the British game's ruling body have not always looked kindly on it, arguing that it is an anachronism. It was probably no accident that David Felgate, the LTA's performance director until he was sacked in May, scheduled a second-tier Challenger event in Nottingham this week, which set up a clash for the first time in recent years. The idea was presumably that the promise of prize-money and ranking points would outdo County Week.

That may have been the background to Murray, an emerging doubles specialist, being told that if he arranged his summer schedule of tournaments around County Week then he might not continue to receive the same level of funding from the LTA, which is believed to be about £5,000. And so rather than playing for the North of Scotland on the lawns of Devonshire Park this week, Murray, 20, has instead opted to remain in the United States for a series of tournaments, including a doubles appearance at this week's main Tour event in Los Angeles.

What has made Murray's non-appearance all the more galling for Ian Conway, the North of Scotland's non-playing captain, is that the team are making their first appearance in Group One.

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