Davis Cup: Great Britains James Ward loses singles match as Lithuania draw level

Published: 12:46PM GMT 07 March 2010

Frustration: James Ward"s emotions show as he loses in true sets Photo: AP

On Friday, Ward became the initial British player in thirteen years alternative than Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski or Andy Murray to win a live singles rubber when he kick Laurynas Grigelis.

Evans afterwards lost in five sets to Berankis but Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski won yesterday"s doubles compare to put John Lloyd"s group in the pushing chair going in to the last day.

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After the initial day"s performances, hopes were high Ward might be means to dissapoint Berankis, who is a former universe youth series one and, at 198, ranked almost higher than possibly of Britain"s representatives.

Both players hold offer sincerely absolutely via the initial set but it was Ward who burst initial in the tie-break, 3 errors in a row from 4-4 handing the value to his opponent.

The vigour was solemnly construction on the British series 3 and the initial mangle of the compare duly came in the eighth diversion of the second set.

Ward had dual chances to mangle behind rught away but he could not take them and Berankis, 19, served out for a two-set lead.

Both players had their openings in what valid to be the last set but again it was the Lithuanian who pennyless through, in the seventh game, and this time he had no difficulty clinching feat to pull his nation turn at 2-2.

Defeat for Britain in Vilnius would be a new low, opposite a nation with usually 3 world-ranked singles players and whose group is finished up wholly of teenagers.

Evans should come out on tip opposite Grigelis, who is ranked 269 places next him at 521 in the universe and is personification for the third uninterrupted day.

But the 19-year-old from Birmingham"s Davis Cup jot down now reads: played three, lost three. And, when the vigour was on in the determining rubber opposite Poland last year, he unsuccessful to win a set.

Ward, who was personification in his initial Davis Cup tie, felt he was hapless to come out on the wrong side of a close match.

He said: "It came down to a couple of points. He served unequivocally well. I served well as well but I could have finished a bit some-more on the lapse and have him fool around a couple of some-more points. But there was not most in it, only dual breaks. It"s tough."

Reflecting on the tie as a whole, he added: "It"s been a good experience. I proposed off with a win, the undiluted start, I played unequivocally well, and I think I played well today.

"I"m blissful to regularly fool around for my country. It"s regularly enjoyable. We"ve had a good group suggestion and I"ll see brazen to personification again if I"m picked."