Great Britain captain Jeremy Bates has called upon youngsters Alex Bogdanovic and Andrew Murray to force their way into the Davis Cup team next year. Defeat to Austria saw Britain relegated to the Euro/Africa Zone, and raised questions about the Davis Cup futures of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.
Bates said: "Tim and Greg may or may not play next year, but sooner or later other people will have to step up.
"I told Alex and Andy that they weren't there to make up the numbers."
The draw for next year's Euro/Africa Zone takes place in Madrid on Thursday, with Great Britain likely to be seeded and so get a bye through round one.
That would leave a tie against Italy, South Africa, Israel, Luxembourg, Serbia/Montenegro or Zimbabwe in July, for the right to play another World Group qualifier next autumn.
 |  If they keep working as they have been they'll put themselves in a position to play next year |
With the next possible World Group tie not until 2006, and Henman having just turned 30 and Rusedski a year older, Bates may choose to blood 20-year-old Bogdanovic or 17-year-old Murray in the singles. "Alex has already played Davis Cup and both of them have been wonderful team members - there's a wonderful team spirit," Bates told BBC Five Live.
"Andy is somebody who is mature for his years and I wouldn't have any hesitation putting them in."
And Bates insisted that it had not been an automatic choice when selecting Henman and Rusedski in Austria.
"It was a tough decision as to who was going to play," said Bates. "If it had been right on this occasion they would have both played.
"Certainly, if they keep working as they have been they'll put themselves in a position to play next year, and I'll pick them."
MMIX
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