Mar 11, 2010, 21:16 GMT
London - Tim Henman has declined to rescue staggering British tennis fortunes with the decision not to accept any theoretical invitation to become Davis Cup captain.
The one-time number four and national tennis hero told London's Daily Telegraph that he was not interested in the job currently held by John Lloyd, whose position could be in peril after a loss at the weekend in Davis zonal play to lowly Lithuania.
'To be in the position we're in, that's unacceptable,' the 35-year-old Henman told the newspaper.
'It was in 1992 that I came out of the juniors, and almost every year since then the LTA have received at least 25 million pounds (38 million dollars) from the Wimbledon surplus, and still there's no depth at all in the men's game.'
Britain must now win a playoff in July against Turkey - likely to be on grass at Eastbourne - in order to avoid dropping to the lowest possible rung of the worldwide Davis Cup competition.
'I think John (Lloyd) and (coach) Paul (Annacone) are easy targets after what happened in Lithuania, and it's easy to criticise them. They can only work with the players that are available.
'A coach or a captain is only as good as the players he has, and we need to produce better players. This issue runs much deeper than a defeat against Lithuania.'
World number four Andy Murray ruled himself out of Davis Cup for the foreseeable future to concentrate on his singles game.
Henman, who retired in September, 2007, after winning a final Davis Cup tie against Serbia, is reportedly happy with his life of leisure on the golf course and serving on the Wimbledon management committee. He also does occasional television commentary for the BBC.
'Maybe in three years, or in 13 years, sometime in the future, I might be interested in being the Davis Cup captain, but it doesn't feel like the right time. I'm enjoying my family and my golf, and not having any structure to my life.'
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