Davis Cup: What next?

The victory over Turkey has meant that Great Britain can now rest easy, for the meantime anyway. After surviving the unthinkable of dropping into the lowest tier, Britain will now have to wait until September to find out who they will next face in their bid to climb back up the Davis Cup ladder.

The next tie will be a Group II first round match, which will take place in March next year.

The nations who the GB team could possibly face next include:
Ireland
Bulgaria
Monaco
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Hungary

These are teams Britain would expect to beat but a team with an Andy Murray would obviously be better off.

Tempting Murray

The signs of a possible comeback from the world no4 as early as the next round seem to still be up in the air. Captain Leon Smith, speaking after Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski sealed the win, said: “He (Murray) has said before he ‘loves Davis Cup’. For him right now, and we all respect that, is that it is done on a tie-by-tie bases and there is nothing new there. When he wants to comeback we will love that because he is one of the world’s best players and any team in the world would love to have an Andy Murray in it, so when he wants to play we will be delighted.”

According to Greg Rusedski, on his Twitter page, Murray may well have more to consider when making his decision for future ties especially with the Olympics around the corner.

Rusedski wrote shortly after James Ward cemented the 5-0 whitewash: “the rebuilding has started and Murray will have to play next year if he wants to play 2012 Olympics.”

This now brings an interesting angle to the Murray saga but with there being a possible three ties pending results next year it is more than likely that the Scot will not appear until the second round match or if Britain lose the relegation play-off in 12 months time.

Britain's Leon King

Preparation, attention to detail and team spirit, these seem to be the key ideals that makeup the man now responsible for changing the face of the men’s game in Britain.

These characteristics spell a man who is willing to work tireless to drive through success, a winner who plays from the book.

Leon Smith, 34, comes from the Sir Clive Woodward school of thought, yet his lack of playing experience may hinder him, his qualifications as a coach make the Scot more than a worthy candidate for the role or should I say roles.

Many were surprised when the Lawn Tennis Association plucked the fresh faced Smith from head of player development, to take on the post as head of men’s tennis, while also being selected as Davis Cup captain but as we have seen from the result this week it could well be a risk well taken.

In some ways Smith has nothing to lose, with the finger being permanently pointed at Chief Executive Roger Draper for the current state of the game, but Smith refuses to simply sit back and let things continue.

“I cannot be tied at a desk at Roehampton. I have got to get out and see these guys compete and this is what I have done since I have got the job. I have been out and about spending a lot of time on the road with these guys.” said Smith.

This determination to get out has the potential to generate success for British tennis, which needs as much help as it can get at the moment.

Although at a relatively young age at 34 his passion and youthful exuberance seems to be having a positive influence already.

Karen Ross, Tennis Scotland performance co-ordinator, who worked with the talented coach told the Scottish Herald: “A lot of it is the art of coaching and being able to relate to players, and Leon is extremely good at that.”

Andy Murray’s mother, Judy Murray was one of the first to take a shine to the Glaswegian whilst he was working for Tennis Scotland as she first made him a hitting partner for her 10-year-old son and then in the end a mentor for the future world no4.

Smith played a decisive role in Murray’s development through his early teenage years and has also had a hand in the development of many other Scottish players, such as Colin Fleming and Jamie Baker.

Baker has known Smith since he was around 8-years-old but it is only now that he has began to work directly and spoke highly of his style of coaching.

“I can say that the preparation towards the week has been firstly class, said the Scot.

“He is very, very meticulous, a lot of attention to detail, every think is thought out. I think every practice day had been planned way in advanced of us getting here. I actually like that for a team environment because with that you also put in the appropriate amount of man management, he is not just saying this is what we are doing end of conversation he is saying this is what I would like to do... what are your thoughts?”

His influence on the side has so far been infectious and it was clear on Saturday that simply winning was not enough, he wants to gather a momentum of positivity, which means finishing a job off in style.

After James Ward completed the whitewash Smith said: “We spoke about wanting to get 5-0 because I think it sends the right message out and we wanted to keep that professionalism and finish the weekend in that way and they did that very well.”

Again Smith does not see this as a cause to sit back and celebrate, it is just the start of something encouraging that can hopefully cause a positive feeling which can reverberate across British tennis.

This man means business and like Sir Clive is not satisfied until the true rewards come to light and that means making players become winners.

Mixed feelings over Murray's absence

With the likes of James Ward and Jamie Baker securing confidence boosting wins and Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming beginning to form a strong doubles partnership in the Davis Cup team, perhaps Andy Murray was right in opting out of the competition for the time being.

To find out whether the world no4 was right to make that decision or not GB tennis blog went around Devonshire Park to gauge the views of the fans.

That was the views of the ticket holders but what does everyone else think? Please comment or simply vote in our poll.

Day Three in pictures

GB tennis blog watched the day where Great Britain secured their first 5-0 victory since 2001 with wins from James Ward and Jamie Baker. Here are the pictures that told the day that capped off a great weekend for British tennis.

(Click here to watch James Ward and Leon Smith in the post match press conference)

Britain secure whitewash

Great Britain sealed a 5-0 victory over Turkey following straight set wins by James Ward and Jamie Baker this afternoon.

The whitewash is Britain’s first since Roger Taylor led his side to the same score-line in 2001 against Portugal and was a terrific way to cap off a brilliant weekend for British tennis.

With Britain going into today with an unassailable 3-0 lead it was just left to Ward and Baker to carry on the victory parade.

Baker was first up against Tuna Altuna, who replaced the injured Marsel Ilhan. This news was probably a little disappointing for Baker who would have relished the challenge of playing a player just outside the top 100.

Instead he was faced with Altuna, a man who was actually playing like someone inside the top 100 at the beginning of the opening set, as he battered the ball from the back of the court to take a surprise 3-1 lead and if Baker hadn’t dug deep in the fifth game the set may well have gone the way of the 930th ranked Turk.

This game was the turning point for the Scot, as he began to dictate the points and with that won seven straight games to take control of the match. With Baker returning to the form he showed in his opening match he went on to take no time at all to finish off the tie.

Ward was then handed the task in completing the rout, which he grasped with incredible assurance, taking the first set 6-1 in less than 20 minutes. Ergun Zorlu, who started sluggish against Baker on Friday was the same again but as he did against the Scot improved in the second.

But the British no4 was not going to be troubled and held his nerve to take the match 6-4, albeit via a double fault from his opponent. (Click here to watch the final point of the Davis cup tie)

Captain Leon Smith was delighted to finish in style, saying: “I have really enjoyed this past week. It’s hard work, but very enjoyable. Today was good. It is sometimes difficult for players to come out when we have already won 3-0. But they went out and were very professional and did the business. Winning 5-0 sends out the right message.”

Smith will now look to build on the confidence that has been boosted when they face their next opponents in March next year.

Day Three: Order of play

Play begins at 12pm

Jamie Baker vs. Marsel Ilhan

James Ward vs. Ergun Zorlu

Although the tie is effectively over the chance of a whitewash makes the final day some what interesting. If you are interested and would like to see this match out then follow me on http://twitter.com/geoffberkeley to keep up with the latest action.

This result is just the first stepping stone in a long road, says Smith

Captain Leon Smith hopes that the result against Turkey can be the platform to rebuild the state of the men’s game in this country.

The 34-year-old Scot has also been handed the daunting task of being in charge of men’s tennis and realises that this result is only one of hopefully many.

He said: “The feeling of losing five in a row was not great. This is only one step in the right direction, and we realise that, it is not a question about getting carried away. The guys have done a great job here but it is one step, hopefully we are all really focused on. I think you can see that the way the spirit is on the court and on the bench. Everybody is united to improve the men’s game.”

Prior to the win against Turkey, there had been nothing but negatives coming out of British tennis, especially since the loss to Lithuania in March, which was then followed up by disastrous performances at Wimbledon. Smith believes that this could potentially kick start a fresh winning mentality which will hopefully carry the British players forward to the higher echelons of the sport.

“The important thing is that it is job done here it is now over to the players and the coaching teams to build momentum for the rest of the year, said Smith.

“The Davis Cup job is done until March and now it is a question of working on their own games looking to make an impact in Futures, Challengers, Tour qualifier’s and hopefully some Tour events. It is up to them to start building momentum and keep improving their games over the next six months.”

Players such as James Ward and Jamie Baker have yet to make a significant impact on the tour but over the past couple of months and especially this weekend have began to find their form.

Smith said: “They did well yesterday and now they go away with great confidence in winning in what was a pressured situation and they have come out on top. Importantly now they can build on that for the rest of the career.”

The added news that British no12 Richard Bloomfield reached the semi finals of the ATP tour 250 tournament in Newport, Rhode Island after coming through qualifying perhaps showed that the positive waves are beginning to spread.

Day Two in pictures

GB tennis blog captured the pictures that told the story of another great day for Britain as they sealed victory over Turkey.

Brit duo seal Davis Cup victory

Doubles pairing Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski secured Great Britain victory over Turkey in the Davis Cup after defeating Ergun Zorlu and Haluk Akkuyon 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The result finally ends Britain’s woeful run of five defeats on the trot, which left them within one bad result from falling into the lowest group in the competition.

Fleming and Skupski were handed the opportunity to seal the tie after the hard work was done by both singles players, Jamie Baker and James Ward yesterday.

They were also given another boost when the news came in that Marsel Ilhan, Turkey’s top ranked player, had pulled out, which perhaps signalled the oppositions lack of belief that they could somehow comeback from 2-0 down.

The contrast in confidence was clear to see in the first set as Skupski and Fleming looked in great shape in all areas.

The Turkish pair did manage to hold out until the sixth game where Skupski, who was hit hard by the ball earlier in the set, produced some fine tennis from the back of the court to break. The Liverpudlian then went on to serve it out and to take the set 6-3.

The momentum looked to be firmly in the way of the Brits as they broke straight away in the second. What should have then followed should have been a straight forward set for Britain but the Turks had other ideas, immediately breaking back and with that they began to find their own rhythm.

Suddenly, the British pair were under pressure as they struggled to get a sniff on the Turkish service. Despite this struggle Britain finally found a way and decisively broke at 4-4, which again left Skupski to serve out, this time to love.

The ability to step up to another level at the crunch time was again clear to see in the third set as Fleming and Skupski crucially broke once again in the ninth game, which this time handed Fleming the duties to serve out the match and the tie. (Click here to watch the duo's significant match winning point)

Whether the victory brought about jubilation or purely relief, the win should now give Britain something to build on towards the upcoming fixture, which will happen in March next year.

“Winning an individual match doesn’t compare to an overall team win, so it was great to have won for the team. We’re already looking forward to the next tie, said Fleming.

“Winning creates enjoyment and a desire to get into the team and it also breeds confidence. This win will hopefully give the guys confidence going into the next draw.”

With the tie rapped up Britain can now go out and enjoy tomorrow, with both Baker and Ward playing their reverse singles matches. They do have something to play for though because if they both win they will help secure the nation’s first 5-0 whitewash since Portugal in 2001, now what a debut that would be for new captain Leon Smith.

Day Two: Order of play

Play begins at 2pm

Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski vs. Marsel Ilhan and Haluk Akkoyun

Follow me on http://twitter.com/geoffberkeley to keep up with the latest action from this potential match winning tie.

Day One in pictures

GB tennis blog captured the pictures that told the story of a great day for British tennis.
(Click here to watch the national athem played out at Devonshire Park)

Ward and Baker get Britain off to a flyer

Great Britain’s no.4 James Ward defeated Marsel Ilhan 6-2, 7-5, 6-7 (0-7), 6-1 to give the team a healthy 2-0 lead going into tomorrow’s doubles.

This crucial victory followed Jamie Baker’s convincing 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win over Ergun Zorlu earlier in the day.

Having defeated Ilhan on two previous occasions, the 23-year-old Ward looked in confident mood in the first set breaking his opponent three times before taking the set 6-2.

Ilhan, who is ranked just outside the top 100, was not going to be out played by a superb Ward and managed to break immediately in the second. This lead did not last too long though as Ward powered his way back to regain a 4-3 advantage. A jostling of serve then followed until Ward crucially stepped it up in the eleventh game to take it 7-5.

With the cushion of a two sets to love lead you could have expected Ward to take his foot off the gas but instead he drove through the gears, breaking early to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

The match looked to be nearing its climax when Ward began to serve it out at 5-3, but the talented Turk had other ideas and produced some sublime shot making to break back. Ilhan then demonstrated his resistance again as he saved two match points to hang on in there and take it into a tie break.

The Brit then lost his nerve in the tie break and with it all seven of the points were available for the 23-year-old Turk to mop up and take it into a fourth.

This third set loss would have been tough to take for Ward but after a chat with new captain Leon Smith he came out fighting and subsequently broke the Turk's serve for the seventh then eighth time in the match. Despite dropping his own serve in the middle of the set Ward broke Ilhan again and then finally for the tenth time to take it 6-1 and with it the match to give Britain a comfortable 2-0 lead. (Click here to watch Ward's winning moment)

The confidence shown by Ward was built on the day’s earlier performance by Baker, who did not appear to break sweat against his 866th ranked opponent.

The British no.3 immediately showed his intensions as he dominated all aspects of the court to take the first set 6-1.

Zorlu managed to find his feet in the second, as he went toe-to-toe with the Scot until the sixth game, where the 24-year-old stepped up a level to crucially break and effectively seal the second set, which he went on to win 6-4.

It was an impressive display by Baker, who was back in Davis Cup action for the first time since Argentina in February 2008 and he went on to finish the match in emphatic style winning 6-1. (Click here to see Baker celebrating after win)

Baker said: “I was a bit nervous at the start as it felt a bit strange with me being the favourite to win. It’s very different to when I played Nalbandian that first time. But I get genuinely excited about playing these games and playing in opportunities like this one.”

After the fine work done by both Baker and Ward on day one the focus now turns to Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski in the doubles tomorrow as they have been given the chance to finally secure Britain their first victory in five.

Captain Leon Smith realises that the tie is not over, saying: "“It’s obviously a good start for us, but we will take nothing for granted. We have another important match tomorrow and the Turkish team will come out and want to win that, but we will be prepared for them.”

Day One: Order of play

Play begins at 12pm

Jamie Baker vs. Ergun Zorlu

James Ward vs. Marsel Ilhan

Follow me on http://twitter.com/geoffberkeley to keep up with the latest action from both Davis Cup ties.

Perfect setting

GB tennis blog toured Devonshire Park as it prepars to host Britain's crucial Davis Cup tie against Turkey tomorrow.

Smith says team are 'very positive' about upcoming tie

Under the leadership of the new captain Leon Smith comes the start of what British tennis hopes as the turning point of their fortunes within the Davis Cup.

Jamie Baker, James Ward and a doubles pairing of Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski have been selected by the Scot to attempt to end Britain’s baron run of victories and stop the nation from slipping into the lowest division of the competition for the first time when they begin their tie over Turkey tomorrow. (click here to see the GB team entering the stage)

“I think we are all very positive about how we have been getting on as a team and the work we have been putting in, said Smith.

“We are relaxed but focused at the same time and we are really looking forward to the challenge, enjoying it actually.”

The enjoyment might well come from the fact that other than Marsel Ilhan, a player just outside the top 100, Turkey have little to offer Britain in terms of a potential upset.

The other two participants on the Turkish team sheet include Ergun Zorlu and Haluk Akkoyun, both of whom are mere novices within the world of tennis.

Zorlu, who is ranked at 866 in the world, has no experience on grass and appears to be settled working towards a degree rather than concentrating on the tennis circuit. Meanwhile, doubles specialist Akkoyun is not much different in terms of quality but does have plenty of Davis Cup experience behind him.

Another advantage for Britain is that Jamie Baker was pulled out the bag first, so he should be able to get the team off to a good start by dispatching Zorlu. The match will then hinge on Ward’s rubber against the talented Ilhan.

The 23-year-old Londoner, who has a winning record against him said: “He is a good player. He has done well in the big events, especially in the qualifiers in the last few grand slams and he likes the big stage rather than the other tournaments so I am sure he is going to play well this weekend so me and Jamie have just got to be ready for it.”

The hope of a first 5-0 whitewash for the first time since Portugal in 2001 is perhaps a long shot at this point but the thought of defeat is unthinkable and Smith, who will be embarking on the biggest moment of his tennis career, is not even contemplating that outcome.

“I've really enjoyed the preparation so far and I am looking forward to the tie. The guys have been excellent, working hard, specifically on their game. I have a lot of belief in this group and feel their best years are ahead of them,” said the proud Scot.

“We don't think about the outcome, we're using this week not just to practice, but to improve. We're clear on our strategy. Hopefully it's the start of moving back up. It's all about us as a team. We're all together on this, we're motivated and ready to go.”

Turkey who?

• First year played: 1948
• Year played: 51
• Davis Cup record: Played 117 - Won 52, Lost 65
• Most total wins: Haluk Akkoyun (36 - 23)
• Most singles wins: Haluk Akkoyun (19 - 15)
• Most doubles wins: Haluk Akkoyun (17 - 8)
• Most ties played: Haluk Akkoyun (38)
• Youngest player: Yavuz Erkangil - 16 Years 65 Days
• Oldest player: Engin Balas - 37 Years 321 Days
Information gathered from daviscup.com

(click here to see Turkey getting a feel of Centre Court)

The Team

Captain - Alaaddin Karagoz
• Date of birth: 5th April 1965
• Birth place: Adana
• Davis Cup debut - captain: 3-0 vs. San Marino - 1998
• Davis Cup debut - player: 0-5 vs. Belgium - May 1984
• Davis Cup record: Played 51 – Won 25, Lost 26

More info
Alaaddin holds the Turkish record for the most number of years played in the Davis Cup, between 1984-1997. He has previously been the Davis Cup Captain from 1998-2000, making his debut as skipper in May 1998 during a 3-0 victory over San Marino.

Marsel Ilhan
• Date of birth: 11th June 1987
• Birth place: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• Height: 6’3” / 1.90m
• Plays: Right handed, double-handed backhand
• Davis Cup debut: 3-0 vs. San Marino– May 2007
• Davis Cup record: Played 21 – Won 15, Lost 6
• Current world ranking: Singles - 103, Doubles - 708

More info
Ilhan is the highest ranked player in the team at no.103, and now holds a career high ranking going into the Davis Cup tie. The right-handed player has qualified for three out of the past four Grand Slam, most recently Wimbledon for the first time, where he reached the second round, beating the former world No.56 Marcos Daniel in five sets, before falling to No. 31 seed Victor Hanescu in four sets. Ilhan also reached the quarter finals of the AEGON trophy.

Ergun Zorlu
• Date of birth: 3rd February 1985
• Birth place: Istanbul, Turkey
• Height: 6’0” / 1.85m
• Plays: Right handed
• Davis Cup debut: 3-0 vs. Botswana– April 2002
• Davis Cup record: Played 38 – Won 18, Lost 20
• Current world ranking: Singles - 866, Doubles - 1134

More info
The second highest ranked singles player in the team first made his Davis Cup debut in 2002. The 25 year-old has recently been playing in a number of ITF Futures singles tournaments held in his home country as well as regularly partnering Haluk Akkoyun in doubles; their best performance in 2010 coming at the $10k event in Antalya in March where they reached the semi-finals.

Haluk Akkoyun
• Date of birth: 25th April 1981
• Residence: Istanbul, Turkey
• Height: 6' 3"/ 1.93m
• Plays: Right handed
• Davis Cup debut: 0-3 vs. Nigeria - May 1998
• Davis Cup record: Played 59 - Won 36, Lost 23
• Current world ranking: Singles - 1157, Doubles - 1136

More info
Akkoyun is an experienced Davis Cup player who first made his debut in a 3-0 defeat against Nigeria in 1998. The 6’3’’ right-hander holds the record for most Davis Cup wins for his country, with 36 from 59 ties.

Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming

Ken Skupski

 County: Lancashire

 Born: 9th April 1983

 Height: 6’1” / 1.85m

 ATP Doubles World Ranking: 46

 Plays: Left handed, two handed backhand

 Davis Cup debut: Lithuania 3-2 GB

 Davis Cup record: Played 1, Won 1

Ken Skupski has a 100% Davis Cup record after making a successful debut in the recent tie against Lithuania. His partnership with Colin Fleming has flourished over the past 12 months and notably won the AEGON Trophy in Nottingham in June, and reached the final of the AEGON International at Devonshire Park.

Colin Fleming

 County: North of Scotland

 Born: 13th August 1984

 Height: 6’2” / 1.88m

 ATP Doubles World Ranking: 47

 Plays: Right handed, two handed backhand

 Davis Cup debut: GB 1-4 Ukraine - March 2009

 Davis Cup record: Played 2 - Won 1, Lost 1

Colin Fleming first played in the Davis Cup alongside Ross Hutchins against the Ukraine in 2009 but has now teamed up with Ken Skupski, where he was successful against the Lithuanians in March.

Both are now inside the top world’s 50 and if the partnership keeps on staying at this level or even improves then they will find themselves regulars within the team for future ties.

James Ward

 County: Middlesex

 Born: 9th February 1987

 Height: 6'3" / 1.90 m

 ATP World Ranking: 301 / British no4

 Plays: Right handed, two-handed backhand

 Davis Cup debut: Lithuania 3-2 GB - March 2010

 Davis Cup record: Played 2 - Won 1, Lost 1

Ward made his Davis Cup debut in Lithuania, where he got the team off to great start when defeating Laurynas Grigelis but could not follow that up in his next rubber, losing to Ricardas Berankis.

After failing to make the cut for a Wimbledon wild card, instead of competing in the Wimbledon qualifiers he opted to play in the AEGON International at Devonshire Park. This turned out to be a great decision for Ward as went on to beat Feliciano Lopez and Rainer Schuettler, who were semi-finalists at The Queen's Club, to reach the quarter-finals. This form was then carried on a couple of weeks later where we defeat Jamie Baker in the final of a Futures Event in Manchester.

Jamie Baker

 County: West of Scotland

 Born: 5th August 1986

 Height: 6’0” / 1.82m

 ATP World Ranking: 253 / British no3

 Plays: Right handed, two-handed backhand

 Davis Cup debut: GB 3-2 Ukraine - September 2006

 Davis Cup record: Played 4 - Won 1, Lost 3

The 23-year-old last played in the Davis Cup almost four years ago but due to a severe illness and other injuries his ranking slumped. But after a recent resurgence of form he is now up to as high as it has been since 2007.

To comeback from what he has been through demonstrates the hard work and dedication the Scot has put in on the tennis court and with that has seen his performances improve, notably reaching the final of a Futures event in Manchester prior to this tie so he is looking in good shape.

The Captain Leon Smith

 Role: Captain

 County: Scotland East

 Born: 16th February 1976

 Davis Cup debut - captain: vs. Turkey - July 2010

 Davis Cup debut - player: n/a

The Scot has been a full time tennis coach since he was 18 years old. At the age of 21 he went into performance coaching, then took up the role of National Performance Coach for Scotland. In 2009 he was appointed LTA Head of Player Development for Men’s Tennis and was then handed the captaincy of the Davis Cup in April this year following the departure of John Lloyd.

Over the course of his career so far Leon has worked with a variety of British male players including Andy and Jamie Murray, and in more recent times he has overseen the current British top three juniors Oliver Golding, Jack Carpenter and George Morgan.

Davis Cup: Where we find ourselves

Our history

Great Britain has won the competition on nine occasions, five of those as the British Isles and all of them coming prior to the Second World War. The main period of Britain’s dominance was between 1933 and 1936, where the team was led by Fred Perry and Bunny Austin.

Wins
1936 Great Britain 3 2 Australia

1935 Great Britain 5 0 USA

1934 Great Britain 4 1 USA

1933 Great Britain 3 2 France

1912 British Isles 3 2 Australasia

1906 British Isles 5 0 USA

1905 British Isles 5 0 USA

1904 British Isles 5 0 Belgium

1903 British Isles 4 1 USA

Britain also finished runners up on ten occasions, nine of those between 1900 and 1937 but since then the side has only made the final in 1978, where they lost 4-1 to USA, with the likes of John Lloyd, David Lloyd, Buster Mottram and Mark Cox.

Other than a semi final in 1981 Britain have since always been on the fringes of the World Group and are now even further away from it than they have been following five straight defeats.
The poor results have now meant that the team have to defeat Turkey to avoid dropping into the lowest tier of the competition for the first time in their 110 year history in the Davis Cup.

Run of bad form

07/03/2010 Lithuania2-3 LTU Hard - Indoors EPA G2 1st Round

20/09/2009 Poland2-3 GBR Hard - Indoors EPA G1 PO Semifinals

08/03/2009 Ukraine1-4GBR Hard - Indoors EPA G1 Quarterfinals

21/09/2008 Austria2-3 GBR Grass - Outdoors WG PO 1st Round

10/02/2008 Argentina1-4 ARG Clay - Outdoors WG 1st Round

Davis Cup format

The Davis Cup is made up of four divisions with the World Group as the highest point and Group III as the lowest.

Bellow the World Group the nations compete in Zonal Competitions, which are split into three zones: the Americas Zone, the Asia/Oceania Zone and the Europe/Africa Zone.

Currently, Great Britain are in the Europe/Africa Zone Group II play-offs trying to avoid dropping into the Europe/Africa Zone III. If worse scenario was to occur then Britain will find themselves playing tiny nations such as San Marino and Andorra.

(Click here to Find out more about the structure)

Without Andy Murray

One of the main reasons Britain finds itself in the position it is in now is due to the lack of depth within British men’s tennis at the moment. Other than Murray, who is world ranked no4, the second next best player is Alex Bogdanovic at 163. Unfortunately down to different reason they have both opted out from participating in the next tie against Turkey.

Murray’s decision was down to the fact that he felt that the team had been too relient on his participation and thought that by not putting himself up for selection for the meantime, would allow some of the other British players to gain confidence boosting wins without him.

Meanwhile, Bogdanovic’s decision has been partly down to the lack of confidence shown in him by the Lawn Tennis Association, who at the beginning of the year dropped the British no2 from elite funding.

This now leaves Britain with their third and fourth ranked players, Jamie Baker and James Ward, who have been left to pull the team out of the hole it finds itself in. However one bonus that looks like emerging is the doubles pairing of Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming, who are making tremendous strides on the circuit and could become a permanent fixture even if and when Murray comes back into the side.

Three years of hurt

On the 22nd September 2007 Tim Henman punched away a forehand volley to secure victory against Croatia and send Great Britain into the Davis Cup World Group.

This brought about joyous but also sad scenes on Court One at Wimbledon as the win not only sealed a return to the World Group but also poignantly marked the end of Henman’s captivating career.

Although briefly taking time out to help extend his Grand Slam career, Henman was a critical member of the side, and his record of 40 wins in 54 ties helped Britain reach the heights of the World Group stages on five occasions.

Along with Greg Rusedski, who also reluctantly hung up his racket in the tie prior to Croatia, helped put the competition within the countries sporting radar. But now without them and a stubborn Andy Murray it would be surprising if even the seagulls would perch down and take notice on Friday.

The reason being is that what followed the unforgettable scenes at Wimbledon three years ago were five very forgettable matches to leave Britain now needing a victory at home to Turkey this weekend to survive plummeting into the lowest tier of the competition.

Not many can be blamed for the loss to a much stronger Argentina in Buenos Aries, especially with Murray pulling out through injury but losses against the likes of Austria, Ukraine, Poland and most recently Lithuania has left the team in an embarrassing situation.

The Davis Cup may no longer be the competition it once was but the sheer devastation of the position the GB team finds itself in at the moment and performances that have gone with it gives a true reflection of the state of the men’s game within Britain.

Throughout that period under Captain John Lloyd it has been totally dependent on the appearances of the world no.4 because without him Britain has only won three singles rubbers, through Chris Eaton, Jamie Baker and James Ward, two of which were dead rubbers.

Murray understands his responsibilities but for a potential Grand Slam champion to do it by himself is too much to ask and he has rightly taken leave from Davis Cup action to avoid unnecessary injury.

This then left poor Lloyd with not much to play with and even trialling players through a play-off system did not tell the former Davis Cup finalist a great deal about his players.

Record under John Lloyd

08/03/10 Lithuania 2-3 defeat

20/09/09 Poland 2-3 defeat

08/03/09 Ukraine 1-4 defeat

21/09/08 Austria 2-3 defeat

10/02/08 Argentina 1-4 defeat

23/09/07 Croatia 4-1 win

08/04/07 Netherlands 4-1 win

24/09/06 Ukraine 3-2 win

However whatever was around during the time Britain faced Lithuania it was expected that even a team of James Ward (world no.249), Dan Evans (world no.252) and a doubles pairing of Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski could defeat a team of teenagers.

How wrong we were. Although a gallant effort especially by Evans, who lost both of his rubber in five, the defeat to Lithuania was the final straw for the LTA, who pointed the blame at the captaincy of Lloyd rather than simply looking at their own misgivings.

Well four months on, we take on Turkey, with the same calibre of players but this time with the new captaincy of Leon Smith and that of course brings new optimism... doesn’t it?

Welcome!

This blog will cover Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Turkey held at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne between the 9th and the 11th July. GB tennis blog will provide day-by-day coverage of the event including match reports, interviews and exclusive photographs and video clips. In addition, the blog will try to gauge the views of the fans and will give extensive build up and reaction to what is a must win tie for the British team.

You can also keep up-to-date with the latest scores and happenings at Eastbourne by following http://twitter.com/geoffberkeley

Hope you enjoy my blog and feel free to comment on anything posted.

Thank you,

GB tennis.