22 September 2008

© AELTC

Click here to view photo gallery of the GB v Austria Davis Cup tie

The key word in the wake of Great Britain’s Davis Cup World Group relegation decider against Austria seemed to be “if”. If Great Britain’s team captain John Lloyd had selected Andy Murray to play alongside his brother in the doubles... If Austria’s Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle had not played so outstandingly in that Saturday match... If Alex Bogdanovic could have sustained his competitive form beyond a set-and-a-half in either of his singles matches... If Britain had more than one player in the world’s top 100 to ease the burden on Andy Murray...

But sport is full of such ifs. All that matters is the facts contained within the bottom line, and at Wimbledon’s Number One Court they spelled out defeat for Great Britain in this rubber. It came down to the last match, but it felt very much as if Austria’s ultimate 3-2 victory was never seriously in doubt. Thus Austria retain a coveted place in the elite World Group, while 2009 will see Great Britain in the Euro-Africa zone of the competition. Only the British weather played an unforeseen blinder, with all three days of this September tie bathed in sunshine.

The similarities in the opening and closing matches of this rubber were plain to see. Bogdanovic – whose career record in the Davis Cup did not make for cheery reading even before this tie - was the common factor to both, along with his unhappy habit of raising hopes for the first set-and-a-half before defeat loomed over the horizon.

In the opening match this was disappointing (especially from a set and 4-1 up) but not altogether surprising as he was facing Melzer who, as the world number 41, is ranked 121 places above the Briton. Melzer won 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-1. But in the rubber’s decider on Sunday, it was torturous that that match should follow the same pattern. On that day Bogdanovic’s opponent was Alexander Peya, ranked almost alongside the Briton. Victory should have been possible, but as Bogdanovic’s error count mounted, Peya took it 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Sandwiched between those two matches came two efficient displays by world number four and US Open finalist Andy Murray. Victory over Peya on Friday was straightforward, with Scot winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. Come Sunday, Melzer made him work harder. Murray survived six break points in the opening set before converting the first of his own, but then saw the second set go by before dominating the closing stages to win 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. In the midst of the singles, Saturday’s doubles saw Melzer and Knowles produce an excellent display to see off Ross Hutchins and Jamie Murray 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. Many thought the Austrian pair played so well that it rendered Andy Murray’s absence from that match meaningless.

Unfortunately it was hard to disguise that this was not the most unified Davis Cup team ever fielded by Great Britain. Andy Murray’s reserved courtside seat was empty for all but the first of Bogdanovic’s four sets on Sunday, and later he was openly critical of his team-mates.

“The guys in the other matches didn’t get the crowd involved,” said Murray frankly. “When Alex fell behind, I didn’t see any fist-pumps or hear any ‘come ons’. Even if you’re breaking rackets, I don’t care. I just want to see that you’re desperate to win the match.”

British captain John Lloyd was more philosophical, musing: “I thought we were marginal favourites on grass but it didn’t work out that way. They were the better team and deserved their victory. We worked hard to get into the World Group and now we’re out of it. I’m very disappointed.”

Results (19 - 21 September)