A BOGDANOVIC GB v N OKUN Isr

4-6 5-7 2-6

Interview: Great Britain's Andy Murray

By Caroline Cheese

Third set

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 2-6 Okun
Bogdanovic stages a brief rally by getting to deuce but it's all too little too late. Okun wraps up victory, leaving Andy Murray carrying Britain's hopes. You can only sympathise with Jeremy Bates. Bogdanovic has just proved what a thankless task captaining Britain's Davis Cup team is.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 2-5 Okun
Bogdanovic saves a modicum of pride by holding - but even that has more to do with Okun taking a few chances on the return.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-5 Okun
What must Jeremy Bates be thinking? He surely can't pick Bogdanovic for the fifth rubber now. He will have to turn to Jamie Delgado or Alan Mackin.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-4 Okun
Bogdanovic is in a hurry to end this match. He is barely moving now and his body language tells the whole story.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-3 Okun
There's some desperate shouts of "Come on Alex" from the crowd, but it doesn't help. Bogdanovic has won one point in Okun's last four service games.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-2 Okun
Another woeful game from Bogdanovic. We could be watching the end of his Davis Cup career. He just can't seem to perform on this stage.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-1 Okun
In case you're confused, and frankly we wouldn't blame you, if Britain lose this tie, they will play Ukraine in September and if they lose that, they will be relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group Two. If they win this tie, they stay in Group One. We think. Okun holds to love.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 1-0 Okun
Bogdanovic takes his first steps up his personal mountain by holding to open the third set.

Second set

"Has Bogdanovic got the guts to stay out here another three hours? That's the key."
BBC analyst John Lloyd

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-7 Okun
Easy for Okun, who bangs down three aces, and Boggo faces the proverbial mountain to climb.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-6 Okun
As the BBC's David Mercer observes: "Oh dear." A horror show from Bogdanovic, who ends it with a lame forehand into the net. Okun will serve for a two-set lead and you can't see Bogdanovic coming back from that.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-5 Okun
By the by, Okun is the spitting image of Miles Colby - a character from 80s Dynasty spin-off The Colbys. Okun/Miles holds to love.

Bogdanovic 4-6 5-4 Okun
Bogdanovic thumps down an ace to silence all those who doubt his mental steel - well for now anyway.

Bogdanovic 4-6 4-4 Okun
Okun wrecks a love service game with a double-fault at 40-0 but he follows that with a winning forehand. Bogdanovic's nerve is really under scrutiny now.

Bogdanovic 4-6 4-3 Okun
A confident service hold from Bogdanovic. For the notoriously flaky Brit, the hard work unquestionably starts now.

Bogdanovic 4-6 3-3 Okun
This is a match pitting the world number 148 against the world number 270 - the kind of high-quality encounter we've come to expect from a Europe/Africa Zone Group One First Round Play-Off. That hasn't dampened the Eastbourne crowd's enthusiasm though. They roar their approval as Bogdanovic chases down a drop shot and flicks it down the line. He gets to deuce but no further.

Bogdanovic 4-6 3-2 Okun
Nervous mutterings from the Eastbourne faithful as Bogdanovic falls to 15-30 down but he produces a lovely little half-volley drop shot to get himself out of trouble.

Bogdanovic 4-6 2-2 Okun
The Duchess of Gloucester, president of the LTA don't you know, takes her seat and the presence of royalty seems to inspire Bogdanovic. A peach of a backhand gets him to break point, but Okun holds firm.

Bogdanovic 4-6 2-1 Okun
Uh-oh. The old Bogdanovic is back. The groundstrokes have lost their bite and Okun is able to step in and take the initiative. But 'Boggo', as his mates call him, manages to save two break points.

Bogdanovic 4-6 1-1 Okun
Okun registers his first love game of the match. Plummy-voiced former All England Club chief exec Chris Gorringe is in the crowd.

Bogdanovic 4-6 1-0 Okun
Hilarity at the start of this game as the players go to the wrong ends. Thankfully the umpire is on the ball. Bogdanovic starts the set as confidently as he ended the last. Bates is looking a little more relaxed now.

First set

"Bates will be telling his player: 'you can break him at any time'. If he can just raise his game by 5% he can win this match."
BBC analyst John Lloyd

Bogdanovic 4-6 Okun
Bogdanovic sees him comeback hopes disappear with one tame return on break point. Okun snaps up the second chance and seals the set.

Bogdanovic 4-5 Okun
The crowd are on the edge of their seats as Bogdanovic storms into a 40-15 lead then double-faults, but the Brit serves up an ace to seal the game. In Sir Alex Ferguson's famous words, it's "squeaky-bum time" for Okun.

Bogdanovic 3-5 Okun
Hang on a minute, the comeback actually is on. Bogdanovic is being a lot more aggressive on his groundies and he's rewarded with three break points. Okun dumps a simple forehand into the net and Bogdanovic retrieves a break. The crowd are ecstatic.

Bogdanovic 2-5 Okun
"Well done," shouts the unmistakably British Jeremy Bates as Bogdanovic wins a rare point. He follows it with three more - the comeback's on!

Bogdanovic 1-5 Okun
Okun finishes off a clinical service game with an ace. This is not nice to watch if you're a Bogdanovic fan - of which there are probably many.

Bogdanovic 1-4 Okun
Bogdanovic follows one stunning backhand with what one can only describe as a near-whiff. It takes the wind out of the Brit's sails and Okun pounces. And there's the double break.

"We didn't know about modern things like bananas in our day. We used to eat chocolate bars and cola, and they advised us to have steak and potatoes before a match."
BBC analyst John Lloyd

Bogdanovic 1-3 Okun
The crowd are back in full voice as Bogdanovic flicks a lovely backhand beyond the reach of a net-rushing Okun. It may be the only point he wins in this game, but it's a start.

Bogdanovic 1-2 Okun
Bogdanovic avoids the dreaded double break - for now. It's a love game from the battling Brit.

"This is a must-hold for Bogdanovic"
BBC analyst John Lloyd

Bogdanovic 0-2 Okun
This must be some sort of record. A Davis Cup home crowd has been silenced after less than five minutes. Bogdanovic's floating groundstrokes are manna from heaven for Okun who is swatting away winners with ease.

Bogdanovic 0-1 Okun
Oh dear. This is not the start Bogdanovic was after. He belts a forehand very, very long to concede his serve. No wonder Jeremy Bates looked so nervous.

Build-up

1312 BST: Bad news for Britain already. Bogdanovic has lost the toss. Okun has chosen to receive.

1310 BST: There is some history here. Bogdanovic led 5-3 in the first set against Okun in a Davis Cup tie in Israel last year. But he lost the set on a tiebreak and then folded rather spectacularly.

1307 BST: Skipper Jeremy Bates is nervously folding and re-folding some paper. You don't think he's doubting Bogdanovic's ability to get the Brits off to a winning start, do you?

"Bogdanovic is a clear favourite to win this match - on paper. If he were to lose it, there would be big questions asked."
BBC analyst John Lloyd