Features

GB suffer Davis Cup disaster

Author: John Harris
Date: 09/03/2010
Tennis betting

Great Britain's Davis Cup frailties were exposed once again at the weekend as they crashed to a disappointing Europe-Africa Zone Group II defeat against Lithuania in Vilnius.

Despite holding a 2-1 lead going into the final day, their nerve failed them as James Ward lost to Ricardas Berankis and Dan Evans succumbed in the deciding match with Laurynas Grigelis.

GB captain John Lloyd now has the unwanted record of becoming the first skipper to suffer five successive defeats, and with a relegation play-off against Turkey in July, they have to claim a success to avoid a further failure.

If they lose, they will drop into the lowest tier of the competition, Europe-Africa Zone Group III, where they would face the mighty Andorra, Moldova and San Marino.

World number four and Britain number one Andy Murray, who is the online betting second favourite to win Wimbledon this term, may be forgiven for opting to choose his individual career over the Davis Cup.

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The Scot is out on his own as a force and any future involvement would see him team up with Ward, ranked 249th in the world and Evans, who sits three places below in 252nd, and it is easy to see why it may not be so high on his priority list this term.

Questions are continuing to be posed as to why they struggle in such a way.

Can it be a lack of money infiltrated from the Lawn Tennis Association?

Well, this can hardly be a case for argument. British tennis received more than £29million last year with this windfall coming from the Wimbledon Championships.

In stark comparison, their Lithuanian counterparts, who claimed victory on Sunday, survive off just £100,000.

Household names such as Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski are now long gone and it is difficult to see the likes of Evans, Ward and co bringing about the desired results in the future.

Rusedski is now being linked with a move to replace Lloyd in the hot-seat, but this remains to be mere tabloid talk.

Without doubt, there are big problems at the top and the state of British tennis does not look like improving any time soon.

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