Disappointing end to Becker’s Cup career

BONN, APRIL 5: An era ended for German tennis at the weekend as Boris Becker made his last Davis Cup appearance.Becker teamed up with Dav...

BONN, APRIL 5: An era ended for German tennis at the weekend as Boris Becker made his last Davis Cup appearance.

Becker teamed up with David Prinosil in Saturday’s doubles to give his country a 2-1 lead over Russia in their first round tie. “There is a slight chance I might play in the next round if we qualify,” he said after the pair achieved a thrilling five-set win over Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei Olkhovsky.

But Russia claimed both reverse singles yesterday to win 3-2 and advance to the quarter-finals. So disappointed was Becker that he shunned the closing press conference and left Frankfurt straight away.

Becker, three times Wimbledon champion, plans to retire completely as player by the summer but will remain German team manager, continuing to work alongside captain Carl-Uwe Steeb.

The former world number one, who steered Germany to victory in 1988 and 1989, has a unique Davis Cup record.

He has won 38 of the 41 singles matches he has played in 28 ties. The only men to have beaten him areSpaniard Sergio Casal, who did it twice, and Dutchman Paul Haarhuis.