Hutchins: rebuilding process starts now
British doubles No.1 calls for passion and trust in new Davis Cup set-up…
British doubles No.1 Ross Hutchins has called on the incoming Davis Cup captain and coach to reignite the passion for the competition to drive the team back towards the world’s elite.
Hutchins was a non-playing member of the GB squad that played in Lithuania, losing 3-2 in the Euro/Africa Zone II first round match, leaving them in a relegation play-off with Turkey in July to avoid dropping into the lowest tier of the competition.
In the wake of the result, captain John Lloyd and team coach Paul Annacone have resigned from their roles.
“In light of the recent news of John Lloyd and Paul Annacone stepping down from their Davis Cup duties I would like to say thank you very much to them both for all their help with me and for backing me on many occasions to represent my country,” said Hutchins. “I will remain close with both John and Paul as my first Davis Cup match was with John in Argentina and he has given me some of the best times of my tennis career during the weeks of Davis Cup.
“Paul has helped me enormous amounts and will no doubt continue to do so as he continues his role in the LTA setup.”
Earlier this week Roger Draper, chief executive of the LTA, hinted that the incoming captain may not be a ‘big name’, but rather may come from within the LTA coaching structure.
“With us now looking ahead to who can fill their roles I think it is crucial that we appoint the right captain, coach and backroom staff as the whole squad needs to have the right ideas in the re-building process of our Davis Cup ambitions,” believes Hutchins. “We need to become very passionate and thrive on winning every single point of every single Davis Cup match.
“The Captain and Coach needs to get behind the players as John and Paul did and really show that they trust all the boys that will be selected and I have no doubt that this will happen. With this new team of people I feel like we have the team that can move up the groups and divisions and work our way back to the Elite group in Davis Cup.
“I will personally be working my socks off to become a better tennis player and team member so that it gives us the best opportunity to do well in the future of Davis Cup,” he added. “I really hope that we can move forward and start getting back to winning ways and have the nations backing all the way.”
