19 March 2010 / REUTERS, LONDON
John Lloyd has resigned as Britain’s Davis Cup captain after a humiliating defeat to Lithuania that triggered hand-wringing and soul-searching in the home of Wimbledon. Britain have lost their last five Davis Cup ties, and face a relegation playoff against Turkey at Eastbourne in July to avoid dropping into Europe/Africa zone group III.
“Davis Cup captaincy is a tough job and I’m sure that the next Captain will be as passionate as I was and have no doubt that the team is capable of defeating Turkey in July,” Lloyd said in a statement from the Lawn Tennis Association. “ I have been a Davis Cup player, captain and now it is time for me to become a fan.” Newspapers decried the defeat in Vilnius as the most embarrassing yet. Lithuania have just three world-ranked players, all of them teenagers, while the LTA has an annual budget of more than 50 million pounds ($76.79 million). Andy Murray, who did not play in the tie, is the world number four and the only British player in the men’s top 100.
