Jamie Murray axed for Davis Cup tie

JAMIE Murray has been left out of Great Britain's Davis Cup team for next month's tie against Ukraine, with fellow doubles specialist Ross Hutchins getting the nod instead.

Hutchins will now join British number one Andy Murray in the squad for the Europe/Africa Zone Group One tie at Braehead Arena in Glasgow from March 6 to 8.

The remaining two spaces will be decided by play-offs later this month between six players selected by captain John Lloyd.

Explaining his decision to pick Hutchins, Lloyd said: "Choosing between two quality doubles players was always going to be tough.

"I've been studying the players since the last tie in September and feel that Ross has been playing the better tennis over the last four or five months, so he gets the nod this time.

"Jamie is a very talented doubles player and has always thrived in the Davis Cup environment and I have no doubt that he will feature in the team in the future.

"With Andy and Ross in the team, it is up to the guys in the play-offs to step up and show that they are ready to play for Great Britain."

Jamie Murray, who turned 23 on Friday, has struggled for form in recent months and has won only two matches this year.

He split with partner Max Mirnyi last season but his new pairing with Dusan Vemic has so far failed to herald an improvement in results.

Murray is still ranked six places higher than Hutchins at number 36 in the world in doubles but the latter has enjoyed a stable partnership with Australian Stephen Huss, winning a first ATP Tour title in Beijing last September.

The pair also reached the semi-finals in San Jose last week, while Murray and Vemic lost in the first round in Rotterdam.

Murray and Hutchins, 22, played together in Britain's last tie against Austria but were comprehensively beaten and Hutchins is certain to play with Andy Murray this time around.

The duo are close friends and linked up for winter training in Miami, and this may also have influenced Lloyd's thinking.

The play-offs, which begin at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton on Monday, will feature Josh Goodall, Alex Slabinsky, James Ward, Dan Evans, Chris Eaton and Colin Fleming, with Lloyd and coach Paul Annacone overseeing the process.

British number two Alex Bogdanovic has been left out after he again failed to win a match against Austria.