Jamie can’t stop Davis Cup agony
Battered and bruised Jamie Murray failed to stop Great Britain’s f irst Davis Cup whitewash since 2009.
Murray and partner Dom Inglot fought bravely in yesterday’s doubles.
But they suffered a narrow 7- 6 (9-7) 5-7 7-5 7-5 defeat to French pair Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau.
After straight-sets defeats for Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans on day one at Rouen’s Kindarena, there is now no way back for Team GB.
Without World No.1 Andy Murray, they have failed to make the semi-finals for the first time in three years.
Big brother Jamie put his body on the line – twice hit by opponents’ shots.
One ball smashed against his ear and another battered his backside – prompting laughter from the rowdy French crowd.
Murray said: “It was close all the way through. We could have won the first three sets but just didn’t get it done when it mattered.”
Murray and Inglot were playing together for only the fourth time and paid for errors at key moments.
Inglot missed an easy volley as France fought back from 4-1 down in the first-set tie-break to level at 4- 4. And after a fourth British set point was saved, Benneteau forced the error from Inglot to give the French the advantage.
The Londoner’s brilliant lob broke Benneteau’s serve at 5-5 in the second set before Murray served it out.
And the Bri ts broke Mahut’s serve to lead 3-2 in the third set giving them hope of staying in the tie.
But five break points went begging and the French pair got back on level terms before a rare error from Murray, a double fault, gifted the set.
The pressure reaching fever pitch in the fourth set when France forced a match point on the Murray serve at 5- 6. Jamie Bowie has retired from athletics, just three years after landing a 400m silver medal at Sopot world indoor championships.
Bowie, 28, from Inverness, said: “Competing on the international stage takes more than training time.
“I don’t have it in me any more. I feel I can make a greater impact in sport away from the track.”