Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Great Britain fail to reach Davis Cup Finals knockout stage after defeat by Holland<!-- wp:html --><div></div> <p>Great Britain fail to reach Davis Cup Finals knockout stage after defeat by Holland 40</p> <p>Great Britain fail to reach Davis Cup Finals knockout stage after defeat by Holland 41</p> <div> <h2>Great Britain fail to reach the knockout stage of the Davis Cup final after Andy Murray and world No. 1 Joe Salisbury lost crucial double rubber to the Netherlands in Glasgow</h2> <p><strong>Britain was knocked out on a hugely draining night in Glasgow </strong><strong>Playing on his home turf was a bitter disappointment for Andy Murray </strong><strong>Victory puts the Dutch and the United States into the next stage of November </strong></p> <p class="author-section byline-plain">By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=Mike_Dickson_DM&tw_p=followbutton" class="twitter-follow-author" rel="noopener"><span class="follow-author"></span></a> </p> <p class="byline-section"><span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-published"> <span class="article-timestamp-label">Published:</span> 00:03, September 17, 2022 </span> | <span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated"> <span class="article-timestamp-label">Updated:</span> 00:05, 17 September 2022 </span> </p> <p> <!-- ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/gb/sport/tennis/article/other/para_top.html --> <!-- CWV --><!--[if !IE]>>--> <!– <!--[if IE]>--></p> <p> <!--[if !IE]>>--> <!–<!--[if IE]>--></p> <p> <!--[if !IE]>>--> <!– <!--[if IE 8]>--></p> <p> <!--[if IE 9]>--></p> <p> <!--[if IE]>--></p> <p> <!--[if !IE]> --> <!–</p> <p> <!-- SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. Copyright 1997-2009 Omniture, Inc. More info available at http://www.omniture.com --> </p> <p> <!-- End SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. --> <!--[if IE]>--></p> <p> <!--[if !IE]> --> <!–<!--[if IE]>--></p> <p> <!--[if !IE]> --> <!– <!-- CWV --></p> <div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The Davis Cup squad, hailed as Britain’s strongest in decades, came crashing down Friday night after abruptly leaving the competition.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">GB were kicked out of the qualifying group for the November World Finals as quickly as possible with a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands on a hugely draining evening in Glasgow. The score was the same against the US, and their fate was sealed.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Playing on his home turf there was bitter disappointment for Andy Murray, whose fiftieth rubber representing his country saw him struggle in the decisive double defeat.</p> <div class="artSplitter mol-img-group"> <div class="mol-img"> <div class="image-wrap"> </div> </div> <p class="imageCaption">Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury lost their second rubber of the week</p> </div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The 35-year-old Scot and world number 1 Joe Salisbury lost their second rubber in a row of the week, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 to Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">For Captain Leon Smith it was the bleakest result in his twelve years on the job, albeit narrow results against decent opposition. Unsure of his optimal doubles play, it turned out not to be last week’s US Open champion and his one-time banker, the older Murray brother.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">After scrambling back after saving a match point in the tiebreak, the double Wimbledon champion missed a pair of forehands on two set points in the third, when it mattered most. It looked crucial and it turned out to be the case.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">A despondent Murray later said he wished he could have it back: ‘When you get to my age you don’t know how many chances you’ll get to be part of this team. I’m sad about that,” he added.</p> <div class="artSplitter mol-img-group"> <div class="mol-img"> <div class="image-wrap"> </div> </div> <p class="imageCaption">Dutchmen Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop celebrate their victory on Friday evening</p> </div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Smith was equally inconsolable, but denied that he regretted the selection: “We came here with high expectations. We played some good games, but we also had chances,” he said.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Salisbury had beaten Koolhof in the final at Flushing Meadows last Saturday, but you might not have known, with the Dutchman beating him as part of the more cohesive pair on the field.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The captain went with Murray, despite having played just two doubles in the past three years. That was preferable to number three in the world Neal Skupski and also Dan Evans, who has become increasingly stronger in the two-man code.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">When the first tiebreak took place last night, the British were never able to get back into it after Murray lost his first two serves, and the emphatic 7-0 deficit sent them to second at full speed.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The well-prepared Dutchman, who consistently served on Salisbury’s backhand, remained the better team, but GB almost reached the tiebreak.</p> <div class="artSplitter mol-img-group"> <div class="mol-img"> <div class="image-wrap"> </div> </div> <p class="imageCaption">British No 1 Cam Norrie fell 6-4, 6-2 of the world No 25 Botic Van der Zandschulp</p> </div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">They had a match point at 5-6, saved by a service winner from Salisbury, and despaired when the unfortunate power cord saw the home side score 8-6.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Then the pivotal point in the decision came when Murray, whose nerve isn’t what it once was, missed the two forehands at 3-3. The Dutch then broke through and won the last ten points. Britain left Kazkastan with a dead rubber on Sunday.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Previously, Evans had put in a contrasting performance to Cam Norrie to ensure the decider was needed.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Evans defeated Dutch runner-up Tallon Dikkerpoor 6-4, 6-4, but in a reverse of the USA match, his good work was negated by an edgy Cam Norrie, who fell 6-4, 6-2 from the runner-up. 25 of the world Botic Van der Zandschulp.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">There has been a lot of encouragement for elite-level British play this year, which makes this feat of a well-prepared team all the more shocking.</p> </div> <p> <!-- ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/gb/sport/tennis/article/other/inread_player.html --></p> <div class="column-content cleared"> <div class="shareArticles"> <h3 class="social-links-title">Share or comment on this article: </h3> </div> </div> </div><!-- /wp:html -->

Great Britain fail to reach Davis Cup Finals knockout stage after defeat by Holland 40

Great Britain fail to reach Davis Cup Finals knockout stage after defeat by Holland 41

Great Britain fail to reach the knockout stage of the Davis Cup final after Andy Murray and world No. 1 Joe Salisbury lost crucial double rubber to the Netherlands in Glasgow

Britain was knocked out on a hugely draining night in Glasgow Playing on his home turf was a bitter disappointment for Andy Murray Victory puts the Dutch and the United States into the next stage of November

<!–

<!–

<!–

<!–

<!–

<!–

The Davis Cup squad, hailed as Britain’s strongest in decades, came crashing down Friday night after abruptly leaving the competition.

GB were kicked out of the qualifying group for the November World Finals as quickly as possible with a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands on a hugely draining evening in Glasgow. The score was the same against the US, and their fate was sealed.

Playing on his home turf there was bitter disappointment for Andy Murray, whose fiftieth rubber representing his country saw him struggle in the decisive double defeat.

Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury lost their second rubber of the week

The 35-year-old Scot and world number 1 Joe Salisbury lost their second rubber in a row of the week, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 to Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.

For Captain Leon Smith it was the bleakest result in his twelve years on the job, albeit narrow results against decent opposition. Unsure of his optimal doubles play, it turned out not to be last week’s US Open champion and his one-time banker, the older Murray brother.

After scrambling back after saving a match point in the tiebreak, the double Wimbledon champion missed a pair of forehands on two set points in the third, when it mattered most. It looked crucial and it turned out to be the case.

A despondent Murray later said he wished he could have it back: ‘When you get to my age you don’t know how many chances you’ll get to be part of this team. I’m sad about that,” he added.

Dutchmen Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop celebrate their victory on Friday evening

Smith was equally inconsolable, but denied that he regretted the selection: “We came here with high expectations. We played some good games, but we also had chances,” he said.

Salisbury had beaten Koolhof in the final at Flushing Meadows last Saturday, but you might not have known, with the Dutchman beating him as part of the more cohesive pair on the field.

The captain went with Murray, despite having played just two doubles in the past three years. That was preferable to number three in the world Neal Skupski and also Dan Evans, who has become increasingly stronger in the two-man code.

When the first tiebreak took place last night, the British were never able to get back into it after Murray lost his first two serves, and the emphatic 7-0 deficit sent them to second at full speed.

The well-prepared Dutchman, who consistently served on Salisbury’s backhand, remained the better team, but GB almost reached the tiebreak.

British No 1 Cam Norrie fell 6-4, 6-2 of the world No 25 Botic Van der Zandschulp

They had a match point at 5-6, saved by a service winner from Salisbury, and despaired when the unfortunate power cord saw the home side score 8-6.

Then the pivotal point in the decision came when Murray, whose nerve isn’t what it once was, missed the two forehands at 3-3. The Dutch then broke through and won the last ten points. Britain left Kazkastan with a dead rubber on Sunday.

Previously, Evans had put in a contrasting performance to Cam Norrie to ensure the decider was needed.

Evans defeated Dutch runner-up Tallon Dikkerpoor 6-4, 6-4, but in a reverse of the USA match, his good work was negated by an edgy Cam Norrie, who fell 6-4, 6-2 from the runner-up. 25 of the world Botic Van der Zandschulp.

There has been a lot of encouragement for elite-level British play this year, which makes this feat of a well-prepared team all the more shocking.

By