IT is back to square one for Great Britain's Fed Cup team after Sweden clinched a 4-1 victory in the World Group Two play-off in Boras.
Such is the cruel nature of the Fed Cup format that despite winning four ties in four days in Israel in February, Judy Murray will next year lead her side back to where they started: in Euro/Africa Zone Group I. But Britain will return as a strong and united unit, buoyed by the team spirit and unity Murray has instilled since last December taking on the role. And with a young player who yesterday showed why there has been so much talk about her potential in recent years.
Eighteen-year-old Laura Robson was thrown in at the deep end for her Fed Cup singles debut against the experienced world No.54 Sofia Arvidsson. After a poor opening-day performance from Elena Baltacha, Murray made the call to replace her No.1 in an effort to kickstart the comeback from 2-0 down.
Despite losing the opening set, Robson did not let her head drop and produced one of the finest sets in her career to level the match. But, despite saving a total of eight match points in the final set with a barrage of outstanding winners, she eventually went down 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
The emotion got to Robson, who hit a total of 47 winners in the match to Arvidsson's 23, as she sat post-match in the chair crying into her towel while being consoled by her captain and team-mates.
"In Fed Cup you're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your country, and all the emotion that built up on court just came through," explained Robson. "I'm pretty upset, but my team-mates are proud of me. Maybe in a few days I'll think it was a pretty good effort, but right now I'm devastated."
Murray now has nine months to plot Britain's return to the World Group Two play-offs. For the Scot, it has been a satisfying journey thus far.
"These are wonderful moments in tennis," she said. "It is wonderful to have the chance to work with the girls and to be a part of something like this."
Meanwhile, in Monte Carlo, one of his favourite venues, seven-time champion Rafael Nadal ended a seven-match losing streak to Novak Djokovic by overpowering the mentally exhausted Serb.
The Spaniard won a record eighth consecutive crown at the clay-court Masters event, beating the world No.1 6-3, 6-1 in 78 minutes.
"It was very important to break the bad [losing] streak. So was important to win the tournament another time," said Nadal. "Break that situation, winning a Masters 1000, one of my favourites, everything's perfect today."
In Mediterranean sunshine, Nadal enjoyed his 42nd win in a row at the venue where he only lost once in 2003, and has been unbeaten since 2005.
"Monte Carlo is the most beautiful 1000 tournament for me. To start the clay-court season winning here is an amazing feeling," he added.
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