For all we know, this might work, but it smacks of being a massive cop-out by JL as others have said.

It'll probably be a blessing in disguise for Boggo getting left out, but for JL to not give him a chance in the playoffs (no doubt because knowing Boggo's record against fellow Brits other than Bloomers, he knows he'd win) and then to publicly put the boot in with his comments yet again (after hanging him out to dry against Austria, when he had to play despite being injured because JL's selection mistakes meant there was no other choice) is just despicable.

How that man can complain about the Brits having no backbone when he behaves like this himself, I really don't know. Unless of course he's not really saying all this in the way that the press are reporting it.

What must be most galling for Alex, of course, is that it's unlikely that any of the non-top 200 Brits would have beaten any of the players he's lost to in DC, while the Ukrainian no. 2 is likely to be the weakest no. 2 we've faced in DC for a long time, and if one of the others plays that rubber and wins it, all the people who've got no idea (the same people who thought Eaton must be the no. 2 Brit because he beat Pashanski at Wimby) will go "so that proves X is better than Boggo then" when it'll prove nothing of the sort.

Also, the thinking behind this is very muddled. JL seems to be saying that he wants to pick people who can consistently beat other Brits (no-brainer then, John, that'll be Boggo) when what he actually NEEDS is people who have proved that they can beat NON-Brits above Futures level - oops, that'll be Boggo too then, or Bloomers or Marray ... but let's skate over that.

Also, Slabba would be in my top 6 too, but based on the apparent logic behind JL's other picks, how can he pick Slabba ahead of Boggo when Boggo beat Slabba convincingly in Nouméa AND beat a seed in AO QR1 while Slabba lost to an unseeded player there?

Next, clearly if selection is only going to be based on play in January 2009, then fair enough, Fleming should be in ahead of Bloomers and Evo should be in ahead of Eaton, and certainly if I had to pick the top 6 for the second singles slot, Colin and Dan would be 2 of my 6 too. But should he really be basing selection ONLY on form this year ... and if he should, why not at least wait another two weeks in order to get a bit more evidence to base it on. (I guess maybe he has to make sure players withdraw from other events in time, or don't enter them in the first place, in which case fair enough)

Finally, I hope he's going to schedule this playoff so that the players concerned don't have to miss the one non-clay low-level Challenger there is in the next few weeks, i.e. Wolfsburg, else it's a bit like saying "I want you to give me everything to save my job as DC captain at the same time as I make it absolutely clear that I don't give a monkey's about your career."

Don't get me wrong, I hope this process helps JL end up with a player who wins a live singles rubber (though come to think of it, they'll have to beat Stakh to do that, because it'll need a major disaster to happen with Andy for the 5th rubber to be live), and I agree with him that players should realise they need to be fit enough to play 5-set matches under pressure, but if we do win, I don't think it'll be because of this approach.

-- Edited by steven at 08:21, 2009-01-24

I can actually see the logic behind this decision (other than the Lloyd cop-out) as it gives the players experience of playing best of 5 set matches and playing several long matches in a week, which they will need to do at Davis Cup level, so it acts as a test to see who is and isn't going to be able to handle the situation.

The problem with it is it takes a whole week out of the schedule which would be better served by them getting ranking points, and if they go deep the previous week they'll be too tired for this, while they may still be struggling the following week if they don't get into the Davis Cup team.

Apparantely this is the system that the Australians have used in the past to determine their Davis Cup line-up (although they aren't any more successful than we are at the moment), and it will give Lloyd a chance to see which of the players that are the options for the 2nd spot are better than each other.

I can see why each of the six have been chosen, although I wouldn't feel that Baker should be involved in the side unless he has a turnaround in form, as he's losing to players he would have easily beaten a year ago at the moment.

And it's obvious why Boggo has been left out of this - because he'd obviously go and win the thing and so fire straight back at Lloyd, who clearly doesn't want to pick him.

(Is it just me, or does anyone else think that this is going to go horribly wrong; either by everyone beating each other and so there being no clear favourite for Lloyd to add to the squad, or the 'worst' of the 6 players actually winning it and so has to be selected, despite not being the right man for the job?)

Either way, it won't matter providing Murray doesn't get injured and we don't screw up the doubles, as that gives us the three points - I don't see any of them beating Stakhovsky on day 1 (although after losing to Clement at the Aussie Open who is so out of form, it does give you hope)

Indiana has it dead right in my view when he says it is an abdication of responsibility.

Lloyd is the coach and should pick what he thinks the best team is - if he is doing his job properly, he would know how everyone is playing and pick from there.

Could you imagine the ryder cup captain unsure of his wild card picks to make up his team and ask them to take a week off the tour to play a few rounds to decide their pick.

As of this week of practice matches will be anything like the pressure they will be under if is 2-2 with a rubber left.

british mens tennis is not healthy at the moment but lloyd just makes this worse

Mad, doubles on form over the next few events

possibly guided (in secret) by whoever andy says he'd prefer to play with?

I think the respective fates of the Davis Cup team and the Fed Cup team reflect the different approaches that seem to be being taken with the men and the women. Carl Maes' team took an underperforming group of talents who had been talked down for years as underachievers and worked to provide a positive enabling environment for them to achieve their potential as professional role models for those coming up - and look where the 'talentless' Anne Keothavong etc are going - going for promotion in this year's Fed Cup not just hanging in avoiding relegation in their group. Lloyd and Annacone seem to be taking a tough guys only approach ie only those with total self-confidence are ever going to make it on the main tour so we'll just try and weed out the weaklings. What exactly is this 'attitude' problem he's talking about? Expressing open contempt for young players in the press isn't exactly a great attitude. I think it's very clear which approach is being more successful!

-- Edited by MAC at 19:13, 2009-01-24

I have just caught a bit of "Eurovison : Your Country Needs You" on TV ( I was just channel flicking, honest ! ).

But, anyway this particular contest gave me an idea for further developing John Lloyd's cop out and play-off idea.

We are apparently talking about having just one specialist double player, so really we are looking for two back-up singles players here.

So, I suggest filiming the whole process and letting the public choose to oust players after each match in a week long "Davis Cup : Your Country Needs You".  John Lloyd could play the part of Andrew Lloyd Webber and have the final say on who is ousted after each series of matches, picking from these with the lowest public vote.  I do maybe worry that this may be a bit much responsibility for him, but let's give him a chance.

First of all, I add two players, the format will work better with eight players.  You really needed to think this through more, John.  Anyway, after they each play one match, Lloyd chooses to save one from the three with the lowest public vote.

Six left, they play again, and again Lloyd saves one from the three with the lowest public vote.

Four left, they play a final time, and the public alone ( for this is too an important matter to be left to Lloyd ) picks the final two to join the Davis Cup Team.

Obviously the actual results one imagines will have a fair influence, but it's the public call on what factors they consider in making their choice, whether artistic impression or what.

This is a winner in so many ways.  Lloyd gets to pretty much cop out and increase his profile at the same time.  It brings TV exposure for a number of British players, and to tennis in general, to millions of the general British public.

Can I make it clear that I claim this concept, so if the LTA and / or any TV companies wish to take this further, I can be contacted via this forum.

Finally, I will insist that it is not scheduled against Eastenders, which is quite interesting at the moment.
 
Anyway, it should be fun  

Why doesent Lloyd just get Andy to pick the side as he seems to be running everything past him anyway? The guy is a joke every decision seems to be based on saving his job rather than supporting the side.