Crunch time for British youngsters ahead of Davis Cup tie

JOHN Lloyd has called on his British players to handle the pressure of the Davis Cup ahead of their tie against Lithuania in Vilnius this weekend.

CRUNCH TIME: A poor run of Davis Cup results has seen Great Britain slip into the third tier
for the first time since the early nineties (Getty Images)

James Ward, Dan Evans, Colin Fleming, Ken Skupski, Ross Hutchins and Jamie Baker make up the six-man squad given the opportunity to prove themselves in the Euro-Africa Zone Group II tie.

British number one and Australian Open finalist Andy Murray has ruled himself out of Davis Cup matches after Great Britain were relegated to the third tier of the competition with defeat last year to Poland.

Team captain Lloyd knows the importance of the tie for both British tennis and his own job security and has pushed his squad hard in training to prepare them for the chance to shine for their country.

"Davis Cup, in my opinion, is the most difficult thing to play - even more so than Grand Slams -  because of what it entails, playing for your country in a team," said Lloyd.

"Certain players have it and some don't, and that's what we've got to learn. Who has that ability to play to the best of their ability under pressure.

"It's all about keeping the balance of working hard and keeping them loose and relaxed and enjoying themselves because I'm not sure who will be playing in the singles yet."

Doubles pair Fleming and Skupski have enjoyed an impressive 12 months and now that they are ranked 54th in the world, they will be expected to perform well in what is often the crucial rubber.

"It's always great to get selected and just be part of the experience, but to be preparing to play this time is obviously a bit different," said Fleming.

"I'm really looking forward to getting out there and just want to do everything I can to be ready to play my best."

Lithuania are fielding a youthful team with 19-year-old Ricardas Berankis, currently ranked 198th in the world, and 18-year-old Laurynas Grigelis, who is world number 521, taking part in the singles rubbers.

If Great Britain can overcome Lithuania they will face either Ireland or Turkey but if they are on the losing end of the tie will need to contend with another relegation play-off.