SMITH: GB WILL COPE

Great Britain Davis Cup team captain Leon Smith has said that the absence of Andy Murray from the squad that will face Slovakia in the Scottish city of Glasgow, Murray’s home town, means that the team has had to work hard ahead of the tie, knowing that all eyes will be on the team and how they manage to do without their star player in the lineup.

Smith also added that the other lads have also taken this as an inspiration and they want to excel in the absence of the British number one as they try to make a name for themselves ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Smith took charge of the team in April of 2010 and oversaw the team’s promotion, meaning that Great Britain are now just one step away from returning to the prestigious World Group of the Davis Cup, where they played for the last time when Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski led the British charge.

Smith knows that the pressure is on the team ahead of the tie without their leading player in Andy Murray but speaking to the journalists ahead of the tie, Smith said that they had the team together for almost a week now and they have trained hard enough to avoid any upset. He further added that without Murray in their side, the team will give even more importance to their opponents than they usually do and that will be a good thing for them.

James Ward has been drafted into the side as the replacement for the world number four and the team captain is doing everything so that the spotlight stays away from the youngster. He said that Ward is not filling the shoes of Andy Murray and should not be expected to perform at the same level as Murray.