Andy Murray dedicates Brisbane International victory to his close friend Ross Hutchins following cancer diagnosis During tournaments, Hutchins and Fleming can usually be found chatting away in Murray's corner of the players" lounge, or challenging him to a game of football tennis (a hybrid sport in which you use your feet and head to propel the ball over the net). These three men are close allies with a taste for banter and forfeits. Last year, they dreamed up another challenge in which Murray and his coach, Ivan Lendl, would take on the doubles specialists on a clay court, with the losers promising to roller-blade into Wimbledon wearing white spandex, although the match was postponed when Fleming injured his knee. Hutchins has a doubles ranking of 28, and he and Fleming enjoyed their best year on tour in 2012, winning titles in Delray Beach and Eastbourne. They performed so well that they were the backup pairing for the end-of-year showcase at the ATP World Tour Finals, but were denied a chance to appear at the O2 Arena in London when none of the eight teams ahead of them reported an injury. Born in Wimbledon, Hutchins comes from a tennis family. His father, Paul, was Great Britain's Davis Cup captain in the 1960s, and was delighted to see his son follow in his footsteps by making his own Davis Cup debut alongside Jamie Murray in 2008. The following year, Ross Hutchins partnered Andy Murray against Poland, and he has been a stalwart servant of the team ever since. "This came as a shock," Hutchins said yesterday in a statement, "but I am ready to move forward with the necessary treatment. I have the best medical support at Royal Marsden and very close family and friends supporting me. I look forward to getting over this hurdle and getting back to the ATP Tour and full steam ahead with my tennis career. Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Roger Draper said: "Everyone in British Tennis is behind Ross. He is a true ambassador for the sport both on an off the court, and I have no doubt he will overcome this setback. Perhaps the only chink of light in this otherwise distressing news is that Hodgkin's lymphoma is not the most lethal of cancers. More than four out of five patients survive the condition if it is treated appropriately.