Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Andy Murray faces sanctions from the ATP – as well as an estimated end-of-season payday loss of up to $1.5 million – should he carry through with his controversial plan to possibly skip the ATP World Tour Finals in London to prepare for Britain’s Davis Cup final in Belgium starting five days later.

The No. 3 Scot, who led his nation to a first shot at the Davis title since 1978 – Britain won the trophy in long-ago 1936 – is worried that playing the elite ATP tournament on hardcourt at London’s O2 arena will not give him adequate turnaround time to adjust to what is likely to be a Davis Cup clay surface chosen by Belgium for the historic tie.

Murray seems ready to face the consequences if push comes to shove and would feel the weight of the ATP come down should the home drawcard opt out of his local championship in east London November 15-22.

The 28-year-old will likely end up a pawn in the decades-long skirmishing between the ATP and International Tennis Federation.

British newspapers calculated that not only would skipping the O2 tournament cost prize money – players get $100,000 merely for qualifying – but his end-of-year ATP bonus pool monies could also take a big hit. At the minimum, his bonus would be in the $800,000 range based upon his performances this season.

Should he end the year on No. 2, his bonus payment would go well north of $1 million.

With mega-millions banked, the sums may not worry Murray as much as expected compared with the glory – and potential earnings – which might accrue from a nearly unprecedented Davis Cup title.

The Scot, who was bothered by his back in the weekend semi-final win over Australia in Glasgow, has trimmed back his autumn schedule and is due to play only once in Asia, at next month’s obligatory Shanghai Masters.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.