Eager Fleming plots Davis Cup return

Published on Monday 9 March 2009 22:40

COLIN Fleming has vowed to do everything in his power to secure a regular spot on Great Britain's Davis Cup team following his unlikely debut against Ukraine at the weekend.

Just seven months after returning full-time to the sport he quit in 2006, Fleming found himself playing in front of more than 3,000 spectators at Glasgow's Braehead Arena.

The 24-year-old from nearby Linithgow was one of the three rookies picked by GB captain John Lloyd for the Euro/Africa Zone Group One tie, which ended in defeat. Of the trio, Fleming looked by far the most comfortable in the high-pressure environment, coming agonisingly close to winning Saturday's doubles rubber alongside Ross Hutchins.

"It's the biggest stage I've ever played on," said Fleming, who took a sabbatical to complete a first-class honours degree in Economics and Finance.

"You can go one of two ways. You can wilt under the pressure or you can rise to it. I feel like I rose to it really well.

"We really thrived on the atmosphere out there. To have that knowledge that I can play well on the big occasion gives me a lot of confidence. John says I've got to work very hard – very, very hard. I need to prove myself to give myself another chance. I'm going to go away and work as hard as I can – singles and doubles. I'll do it in the belief I can get up the rankings and play a big part in the British Davis Cup team."

Fleming's performance in a five-set defeat was the only real bright spot of a weekend of woe for the hosts. Ukraine wrapped up victory with a day to spare, though Chris Eaton delivered a face-saving victory in the final singles rubber as the tie finished 4-1 to the visitors.

The result proved once and for all that Britain cannot cope with the loss of Andy Murray, who withdrew from the tie with a virus but is hoping to return to action this week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The Scot is scheduled to enter the ATP tournament tomorrow.

Lloyd's Davis Cup team have now lost three successive ties, meaning they will spend at least another year outside the elite World Group, with three straight victories needed to get back there.

There is also a real prospect they could slip into the third tier of the competition should they fail to win September's Euro/Africa Zone Group One play-off against Poland.

Lloyd will begin planning for the tie immediately, saying of Britain's next opponents: "I want to start checking them out."

He will also switch his focus from keeping tabs on world No 4 Murray to providing more support to the likes of Eaton, Fleming and Josh Goodall.

"I'm going to spend more time now with the guys at the Challengers," he revealed.

"That's the most important aspect now of my being the captain.

"I combined that with watching Andy as well as everything else. But I want to spend more time now with this group. I just feel that's important."