Davis Cup: Great Britain loses 2-1 against Netherlands and does not qualify for knockout stages

Andy Murray, who spurred Britain to Davis Cup victory in 2015, was playing his 50th game in the men’s team competition

Group Stage Venues: Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia Events: September 13th to 18th

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Britain failed to advance to the knockout stages of the Davis Cup final after Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury lost the crucial doubles match to the Netherlands.

The Group D clash in Glasgow was tied 1-1 after Dan Evans won in singles before Cameron Norrie lost to set up a thrilling final.

But Murray and Salisbury lost a thriller 7-6 (7-0), 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 to Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.

The victory propels the Dutch and the United States into the next phase in November.

Leon Smith’s side meet Kazakhstan on Sunday but neither side can advance, while the Netherlands meet the United States on Saturday to decide who will reach the Malaga event as group winners.

A minute’s silence was again observed before the start of the game and the tie will be played without the usual music between games as a mark of respect during the national period of mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Double defeat seals Britain’s fate

The permutations in that tie were easy for the hosts – win or you’re out.

And after British no. it came down to doubles.

Andy Murray had by far the biggest cheering this week when his name was announced as the three-time Grand Slam champion returns to the men’s team tournament for the first time since 2019.

He had spoken of his regret at the “mistake” of skipping the Davis Cup last year and how he now said he was ready to help the team this year even if he didn’t end up playing.

In the end he played twice but couldn’t save the draw.

He and Salisbury broke in the first game of the game and went 3-1 up, but were broken to allow the Dutch to go 4-4 and eventually take it to a tie break in which they didn’t lose a point.

The Brits perhaps sensed things might not go their way when Middelkoop won the most unlikely point in that tie-break, where he’d been sprawled across the ground midway through the point, only to acrobaticly leap up and land a winner in the net .

But there were more twists and turns as a tightly contested second set culminated in a seemingly inevitable tiebreak.

A string of stunning winners from Murray drew an ovation before there was complete silence as a punch from Middlekoop brought the match point.

Salisbury kept his nerve – and serve – in style with a booming delivery that Middelkoop could only long hit, and the Brits then took the set when a Murray shot hit the net on a lucky spot, to wild cheers from their onlookers trigger teammates. including a jubilant victory lap from Evans.

But missed chances at 3-3 and an easy hold at love from Salisbury in the next game pooped the party as Murray struck wide to give the Dutch pair a break that sent them serving for the match.

After waiting 50 minutes since their last match point, they didn’t want to miss another chance and secured the win when Murray netted.

“It just sucks because those games were pared down to a few points and didn’t go our way,” Murray said at a press conference after his 50th Davis Cup game.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of these games over the years and you know I got through them. That didn’t happen this time and I’m sad about that because I think we had the opportunity to have one that went really well here.”

The “best” team cannot deliver on home soil

Great Britain had arrived in Scotland with what they considered to be the strongest team ever in terms of depth, with three top 50 singles players, as well as the world’s best and third-ranked doubles players.

They were beaten 2-1 by the United States in an agonizingly close and grueling encounter on Wednesday, with all three games going over three sets and the game ending at almost 01:00 BST.

The draw in the Netherlands was another quality thing but questions will certainly be asked as to whether Leon Smith made the right team selection and why a team that was so strong on paper won’t be fighting for the trophy in Malaga.

The fifth and unused member of the GB team was Neal Skupski, the third best doubles player in the world, who finished second in the men’s doubles final alongside one of the Dutch opponents, Koolhof.

The player who might be most disappointed with his performance is Norrie, who upset much of his opening game against American Taylor Fritz and even greater parts of that defeat by Van de Zandschulp.

The Brit had beaten the Dutchman 6-1, 6-2 in Canada just a few weeks ago but was outplayed by him here, with the world no. 35 dominating on serve as he collected 13 aces and also 18 winners against Norrie’s four in a hit absolutely deserved victory.

“That’s not a player on my ranking and that’s me on a really bad day,” Norrie said.

“It’s not the level I’m at. That’s not the level I’m capable of. I’m disappointed in that.”

Murray said he was particularly disappointed to have lost in front of home fans, who sang, sang and banged their drums throughout the clash, which was played without the usual music at the changes out of respect for the time of national mourning.

“We had a really great atmosphere out there again today. I really enjoyed all the chances I got here,” said the 35-year-old.

“And of course I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have to still be part of this team when you reach around my age and this stage in your career.”

analysis

` tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

“It sucks,” said Andy Murray, who had to net a return with the second serve from the forehand after a break point midway through the deciding set.

After the Netherlands saved two break points at 3-3, the Netherlands won the last 10 points of the game.

When GB won the Davis Cup in 2015, Murray (with help from brother Jamie in doubles) contributed 11 of the team’s 12 points.

What makes this defeat even more frustrating is the fact that British men’s tennis now has a real strength at depth.

There will be no trip to Malaga to play the knockout rounds in November and barring another wildcard for next year’s finals, GB will have to face off in a qualifying draw in February.