LTA chief to tell Lloyd his job is safe

Published on Tuesday 23 September 2008 10:06

LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION chief executive Roger Draper has stressed there is no chance of Davis Cup captain John Lloyd losing his job after the defeat to Austria.

The Wimbledon loss relegated Great Britain from the Davis Cup's elite World Group and they were today learning who they must face in Europe/Africa Zone Group I next year.

Lloyd must also persuade Andy Murray to carry on playing for the British team, which could be a challenge given the world No.4 has Grand Slam ambitions for 2009 and ties against minor tennis nations may be unappealing.

Draper insists he is right behind Lloyd, claiming he has "done a fantastic job" despite the poor performance of his team – Murray excepted – against Austria.

Lloyd chose not to select Andy Murray for the doubles on Saturday, citing concern over a minor injury, and Austria capitalised to take a 2-1 lead, which they converted into a 3-2 victory when Alex Bogdanovic lost his second singles rubber of the match.

"We've got a good team spirit within the Davis Cup group, John has done a good job with that team," Draper said. "John has done a fantastic job. He took some gambles over the weekend which didn't pay off.

"He's got the support of the team and everyone at the LTA."

Lloyd intends to ring Murray as soon as he learns Britain's opponents in the Europe/Africa zone.

Murray will be asked if he fancies a trip to places such as Macedonia, Ukraine or South Africa, knowing the responsibility for victory will rest almost entirely on his shoulders. The chances are that Lloyd will be told 'yes'.

If, however, Murray decides that playing Davis Cup for a country of perennial underachievement would harm his attempt to become the world No.1 singles player, then Lloyd is prepared to throw in the juniors to nurture a new generation of talent.