GREAT Britain captain John Lloyd will seek confirmation from Andy Murray that he is willing to play in the Davis Cup tie against Ukraine.
The British team will host the Europe/Africa Zone Group I tie on 8-10 May next year after being matched against the former Soviet state during yesterday's draw in Madrid.
Murray's involvement is crucial if Britain are to secure an immediate retur
n to the elite World Group level.
The world No4 expressed his commitment to the team after the weekend's 3-2 defeat by Austria, a result which ensured relegation to the Davis Cup's second tier. But he was disillusioned by the performances of his team-mates, most notably Alex Bogdanovic who lost both his matches including the decisive rubber against Alexander Peya.
Bogdanovic's surrender after making a promising start – he has yet to win a live Davis Cup rubber in six attempts – once again exposed the lack of depth in British tennis.
The nation's second-best player faces a bleak future in the competition while the doubles pairing of Jamie Murray and Ross Hutchins also came up short. The result has increased pressure on team captain Lloyd, who drew criticism for his decision not to select Andy Murray to play in Saturday's doubles.
The most urgent task facing Lloyd is to convince Murray, who reached the final of the US Open earlier this month, to play for Britain next year.
The tie against Ukraine will come in the middle of the clay-court season and the 21-year-old Scot's body struggles with the transition between surfaces. While clay is his least favourite surface, he may view the Davis Cup as an unwelcome distraction as he attempts to break into the world's top three.
Ukraine are ranked 41st in the world, 17 places lower than Britain, with their top player Sergiy Stakhovsky rated 83 in the singles standings.
Murray beat Stakhovsky in straight sets when Britain dispatched Ukraine two years ago and his ongoing involvement is Lloyd's top priority.
Meanwhile, the Italian tennis federation has banned one of its top players, Simone Bolelli, from future national team events for skipping the weekend's Davis Cup tie with Latvia.
The 45th-ranked Bolelli instead opted to play tour events in Bangkok, Thailand, and Tokyo this week and next.
The full article contains 389 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
