This is one of the hardest matches we have ever had even if Greg had been available

"This is one of the hardest matches we have ever had, even if Greg had been available. I don't think many teams would go to the Ostrava clay as favourites, except maybe Spain. The Czechs had seven men in the main draw at the Australian Open, so they have depth as well as strength. But it is a great opportunity for one of the young lads to make a name for himself."No one in Britain knows more about Delgado's potential than Lloyd. This product of a Spanish father and Welsh mother joined as a nine-year-old the Slater squad which Lloyd formed and part-financed, the other most notable pupil being Henman.

Henman bears a heavy load, two singles in which victory is crucial plus a doubles in partnership with Neil Broad, who in recent ties has often ended on the bench, despite being a doubles specialist, while Lloyd opted for the combined firepower of Henman and Rusedski. The British captain, David Lloyd, is reserving a decision until the squad complete a five-day session at Austria's national indoor training centre, where there is a plentiful supply of high-quality practice opponents and the clay courts are identical to the one specially laid at the Zimni Stadion in Ostrava, a three-hour drive from Vienna.By the time the team make that journey on Wednesday, in time for Thursday's draw and Friday's opening singles matches, Lloyd will have finalised his line-up. "At times I have suffered from lack of confidence," he added. "But my recent victories have given me the belief that I can beat higher-ranked people."This is something Delgado will be required to do if he, rather than the other contender, Arvind Parmar, is handed the second singles job. "That was a good reflection of how much I have come on since those days," said Delgado, who won the British national title at Telford last November and, with the introduction of a new world ranking system this year, briefly found himself the top-rated Briton. Byron knew I was nervous and I just got worse."At the ATP event in Chennai earlier this month Delgado, having had to qualify, achieved his best result in a tour tournament by getting to the quarter-finals and along the way clocked a straight-sets win over Black, his tormentor at Crystal Palace. With both Henman and Rusedski out injured, he was pressed into action against Zimbabwe at Crystal Palace Britain were routed 4-1 and Delgado lost both his singles.

In the second, he was taken apart by Byron Black.From the training camp in Vienna, where Britain are preparing for the Czechs, Delgado said: "I've been looking forward to getting another chance because I need to put that Zimbabwe tie behind me I played so badly. For Jamie Delgado the very name of the Davis Cup is enough to induce shudders, nightmares, that sort of unpleasantness which can afflict an athlete who has performed poorly on a big occasion. It happened to the British 22-year-old on his debut in the event just under three years ago; now he has the opportunity to make amends in the World Group first-round tie against the Czech Republic in Ostrava next weekend. In the absence of Greg Rusedski, still in rehabilitation following a foot operation, Delgado is prime contender for the second singles slot behind Tim Henman, courtesy of recent form which has belatedly borne out the glowing predictions when, at 14, he became the first British boy to win the Orange Bowl junior world championship.First, Delgado must erase the memory of April 1997. It happened to the British 22-year-old on his debut in the event just under three years ago; now he has the opportunity to make amends in the World Group first-round tie against the Czech Republic in Ostrava next weekend.

"Lindsay was too good today but one day it's going to be my day." Little is convinced she can still take care of Large.* Britain's Hannah Collin was beaten 6-2 6-2 in the semi-finals of the junior girls' by the No 1 seed, Aniko Kapros of Hungary.Women's singles final (prefix number denotes seed):(2) LINDSAY DAVENPORT (US) bt (1) MARTINA HINGIS (Swi) 6-1 7-5Men's Doubles Final(5) ELLIS FERREIRA (SA) and RICK LEACH (US) bt (8) ANDREW KRATZMAN (Aus) and WAYNE BLACK (Zim) 6-4 3-6 6-3 3-6 18-16Mixed doubles' semi-final(4) TODD WOODBRIDGE (Aus) & ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO (Sp) bt David Adams (SA) & Kristie Boogert (Ned) 6-3 6-3. For Jamie Delgado the very name of the Davis Cup is enough to induce shudders, nightmares, that sort of unpleasantness which can afflict an athlete who has performed poorly on a big occasion. Game, set, match and title to the United States.The victory does not move Davenport into Hingis' No 1 spot, a fact which left her unconcerned "Being No 1 has never affected me. Being Australian Open champion is far more important."No longer being Australia's champion is also a matter of importance to Hingis but, as Davenport acknowledged, "Yeah, she'll be back." Martina concurred. Davenport's sudden uncertainty in sight of the finish line was seized on, errors crept in, net cords were gratefully accepted and suddenly5-1 became 5-5. But Davenport maintained that she felt unbeatable - "and there's not a lot of days in your career like that" - and Hingis' bid to extend the set into a tiebreak was torpedoed by a double fault and three successive backhand errors as she dropped serve to love.

But Hingis, face set in part-grin, part-grimace, battled as only she knows how, upping the pace and going on to the attack. Her plan to make the American run until her leg gave way was wrecked as Davenport forced Hingis on to the back foot, striking deep down the lines. A 19-minute first set saw Davenport concede only one point on serve and wallop 11 forehand winners.When Davenport broke again to lead the second set 3-1, courtesy of Hingis' first double fault, and then stretched it to 5-1 by smiting the weak Swiss serve once more, the good folk of Melbourne were entitled to think it was all over. However, the sheer speed of them this year suited Davenport perfectly.On the very first point of the match Hingis's serve was belted back at twice the speed it had been delivered. The Swiss teenager managed to cling on to that opening game but was then swept aside, losing the next seven games. Davenport feels it has got to the point of intimidation, simple as that, and Melanie Molitor, Hingis' coach and mother, was smart enough to prepare the daughter for possible disappointment.