Henman pulls out of Davis Cup to focus on recovery

Britain's Davis Cup squad, minus the convalescent Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski and Martin Lee, is due to leave Heathrow for Australia this morning for a first-round World Group tie in which progress is likely to be measured by the number of games salvaged rather than the number of rubbers or sets won.

After Henman's decision to rule himself out, Roger Taylor's bravest of faces cannot disguise the probability of a 5-0 whitewash when the remnants of British tennis are pitted against Lleyton Hewitt, the Wimbledon champion and world No 1, and the big-serving Mark Philippoussis in Sydney from 7 to 9 February. Australia's choice of a clay court, the slowest surface, seems an unnecessary precaution.

Britain's captain will select from players whose world ranking was not high enough for the main draw at the Australian Open: Arvind Parmar (161), Miles Maclagan (444), Alex Bogdanovic (459) and Alan Mackin (333). The former national singles champion, Lee Childs, had been called up as the fifth member of the squad.

Parmar, substituting for the injured Rusedski against Ecuador at Wimbledon in July 2000, failed to capitalise on a two sets to love lead against Giovanni Lapentti in the deciding rubber. Maclagan, 28, came out of virtual retirement to partner Henman in the doubles against Thailand. Bogdanovic, the 18-year-old national champion, has a minor wrist injury but is almost certain to make his debut.

The best Taylor could have hoped for yesterday was that Henman would ask for four more days to prepare his troublesome right shoulder. It came as no surprise when the 28-year-old British No 1 confirmed he was not ready to risk it. Like Taylor, he is concerned about damage limitation, and three matches in three days in his first event after recovering from an operation had the makings of a futile gesture.

Henman sacrificed enough to keep his country in the World Group last September, pushing his ailing shoulder through three matches in a weekend to prevent Thailand from taking Britain's place in the élite 16. Having played in pain since August, Henman had surgery in November.

Britain have not won a World Group tie since defeating Spain in Telford in the first round in 1986, after which they lost to Australia at Wimbledon. This is the first time for six years that the team will be without both Henman and, the British No 2, Rusedski.