TENNIS/Davis Cup: Sweden produced a brilliant final day fightback to deny Britain a place in the quarter-finals for the first time in 16 years with a 3-2 victory in Birmingham yesterday.
Britain began the day needing to win one of the two remaining singles matches to advance beyond the first round of the competition for the first time since 1986.
But Tim Henman was well beaten by an inspired Thomas Enqvist in the fourth rubber 6-4 6-2 6-4.
And Greg Rusedski could not maintain his breathtaking start against Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in the decider, eventually losing in four sets as Britain were condemned to yet another relegation play-off to try to stay in the elite 16-nation world group.
The British number two stormed to the first set 6-4, and even after Johansson had taken the second, raced into a 5-2 lead in the third.
However, Rusedski ran out of steam and lost the next five games in a row, critically losing his serve to love as he served for the set at 5-3.
Johansson, who had shrugged off a groin injury to replace Jonas Bjorkman in the final rubber, said that set had been decisive.
"Those were 25 golden minutes for me as I turned it round, because I don't know how I would have coped if I had gone two sets to one down," he said.
"Greg had served brilliantly in the first set and had me up against it, which hadn't been helped by me coming into the match in a very nervous state," he added.
It came as no surprise when, after saving a break point in the third game and two more in the fifth, Rusedski netted the simplest of forehands to gift his opponent a 3-2 lead.
One break was all Johansson, growing in confidence with every point, needed and he duly completed a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory to silence the vast majority of the 11,000 crowd at the National Indoor Arena.
Enqvist's impressive 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory had levelled the match score at 2-2 and meant the result hinged on the match between Rusedski and Johansson.
Bjorkman was originally scheduled to face Rusedski but it was no surprise that Sweden coach Carl-Axel Hageskog exercised his right to change his team nominations after Enqvist's win had kept the tie alive.
Hageskog said the main difference between the teams was that he had four world-class players to choose from while Britain had been forced to play Henman and Rusedski in the doubles through lack of choice.
The Swedish coach was delighted to be facing Russia in the last eight.
"That is good as we went to Moscow in 1994 and beat them to win the trophy, so that gives us good memories," he said.
One break of serve in the ninth game was enough to give Enqvist the first set, and although Henman managed to save two break points in the opening game of the second set, the pressure on his serve quickly told.
A backhand slice wide gave Enqvist the vital break in the third game and a backhand into the net in the seventh game gifted the Swede the luxury of a second break and a 5-2 lead, which was soon converted into 6-2 and with it a two-nil lead.
Henman, who had avenged his Aussie Open defeat by Bjorkman in the opening singles rubber on Friday, was gracious in defeat.
"You have to give credit to Enqvist he was too good for me today," he said. "
DAVIS CUP WORLD GROUP
Britain 2 Sweden 3: T Enqvist (Swe) bt T Henman (br) 6-4 6-2 6-4, J Bjorkman (Swe) bt G Rusedski (br) 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4. Sweden bt Britain 3-2. Czech Republic 4 Brazil 1: F Saretta (Bra) bt J Novak (Cze) 6-1 7-6 (8-6), B Ulihrach (Cze) bt A Sa (Bra) 6-1 6-2 Czech Republic bt Brazil 4-1. Russia 3 Switzerland 1: R Federer (Swi) bt Y Kafelnikov (Rus) 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 6-1, M Safin (Rus) bt M Kratochvil (Swi) 6-1 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 Russia bt Switzerland 3-2. Croatia 4 Germany 1: G Ivanisevic (Cro) bt R Schuettler (Ger) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5), I Ljubicic (Cro) bt N Kiefer (Ger) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4. Croatia bt Germany 4-1.
