TENNIS DAVIS CUPIRELAND'S INTEREST in this year's Davis Cup finished on Saturday as a talented Lithuanian side won the doubles match to add to their two singles wins on Friday night. The unassailable 3-0 lead pushed Lithuania through to the next round and into a play-off against Slovenia for promotion while Ireland remain in their Euro\African Group II for next year.
The hope now is that Ireland is drawn in the same side of the pool as the Britain team, which remains in the same group, having avoided a humiliating relegation over the weekend. Had they lost to Turkey they would have fallen into the bottom tier for the first time in the nation’s history
Britain also lost to Lithuania 3-2 in the last round in Vilnius, a result that was decided in the fifth rubber as Laurynas Grigelis defeated Dan Evans in five sets. The team has been shorn of their world number four, Andy Murray, whose commitment to the Davis Cup has been questionable in recent years as he concentrates on his own career and the Holy Grail of a first Grand Slam title.
The doubles match on Saturday was Ireland’s last lifeline after Conor Niland and James McGee were beaten in the opening matches by teenager Grigelis and Ricardas Berankis respectively. Berankis made it to the second round of Wimbledon this year.
James Cluskey and Barry King teamed up for the critical doubles tie and although Lithuania had originally nominated a different team, it was Berankis and Grigelis who again stepped on to the indoor court at Fitzwilliam.
The higher-ranked Lithuania pair had a straight-forward win over three sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to claim the match and move forward.
In the reverse singles played yesterday afternoon, Ireland made the score line look more respectable when McGee and Niland won the final two matches. Lithuania brought in their unused players for the dead rubbers with the Irish number one Niland beating Lukas Mugevicius 6-0, 6-2 and McGee also finishing with a straight sets win 6-2, 6-3 against Dovydas Sakinis for a final score of 3-2 to the visitors.
Tennis Ireland and non-playing captain Sean Sorensen are now hoping for a favourable draw next season and prior to Lithunia beating Britain in the last round, the governing body had sought a venue with a much larger capacity than Fitzwilliam in anticipation of Britain’s arrival.
Murray, who has played Davis Cup just twice, decides his program year by year and even if Britain were drawn against Ireland it is far from certain that the Scot would make himself available. Britain’s captain Leon Smith insists Murray’s attitude to the competition does not risk jeopardising his team’s confidence.
“It’s no problem,” said the Scot. “When he wants to come back in the team of course we’ll love that because he’s one of the world’s best players and any team in the world would love to have Andy Murray in it.”
Doubles:R Berankis and L Grigelis (Ltu) bt J Cluskey and B King (Ire), 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Reverse Singles:C Niland (Ire) bt L Mugevicius 6-0, 6-2; J McGee (Ire) bt D Sakinis 6-2, 6-3
