Murray must play in Cup, insists Lloyd

Published on Sunday 21 March 2010 23:25

FORMER Great Britain Davis Cup captain John Lloyd has criticised the Lawn Tennis Association for not obliging Andy Murray to play for the team on a regular basis.

Lloyd resigned as skipper following the humiliating loss to Lithuania and he believes the team have no chance of returning to the top level in the Davis Cup without their star player.

He said: "Call me old-fashioned, but when is it a convenience, and not a privilege, to play for your country? I know Roger Federer, and other top players, pick and choose when to play in the Davis Cup. But does that make it right?

"If England's football team had failed to qualify for the World Cup, would it be OK for Wayne Rooney to turn round and say that he didn't think he'd bother playing for the international team until they had some proper matches, or a team worthy of his time? Of course not.

"When did it come about that someone only played for their country when they had a good team? Yet the public seem to have accepted Andy should be playing only when the team are in the upper echelons of the competition. The reality is that the only way for Britain to get back to the World Group of the Davis Cup is with him in the team."

Murray, meanwhile, suffered defeat to Robin Soderling in the BNP Paribas Open in California. The Swede won 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) in one hour and 34 minutes.

"I started really well, I was moving well. I knew it was impossible to out-power Andy so I knew I had to wait for my opportunity, and I did that today," Soderling said.

Soderling suffered a scare when he was broken by Murray after squandering a 30-0 lead when serving for the match at 5-4, but was adamant that blip was more the result of Murray's efforts rather than any shortcomings in his own game.

"When I was going to serve for the match I was nervous, but that's normal," he said. "I got to 30-0 and I don't think I did anything wrong – he just played a couple of great passing shots."

Meanwhile, sixth seed Jelena Jankovic claimed the BNP Paribas Open title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki.

The former world No 1 set up the win with three breaks of serve in the opening set and broke immediately in the second to clinch her first title since Cincinnati in August last year.

Jankovic had endured a below-par season before arriving at Indian Wells for the first Masters Series event of the year and had made a first-round exit in her previous tournament in Monterrey.

But after rediscovering some of her best form in California the 25-year-old Serbian swept past the rising talent of Wozniacki to win in one hour and 24 minutes.

The disappointment of defeat for 19-year-old Wozniacki should be tempered slightly, however, with her progress to the final set to see her rise to a career-high position of number two when the new rankings are released today.

Wozniacki's cause was not helped in the first set as she won just 30 per cent of points on her first serve.

Jankovic then closed in on the title when she immediately broke in the first game of the second set. It was all she needed as she held serve thereafter to lift the title.