Controversial Fed Cup tie leaves bad blood between Great Britain and Romania

This was one tie that will not be chiefly remembered for the tennis

Jo Konta admits it will take her some time to overcome the weekend's events (Getty)

Great Britain's Fed Cup play-off against Romania ended with the hosts victorious but bad blood between the teams after a turbulent weekend.

Victories for Simona Halep over Johanna Konta and Irina-Camelia Begu against Heather Watson clinched the tie for Romania before Laura Robson and Jocelyn Rae won a consolation doubles rubber to make the final score 3-2. But this is not a tie that will be remembered for the tennis.

The controversy appeared to be largely over after Romania captain Ilie Natase was barred following his foul-mouthed meltdown on Saturday - although he did flout that to make a brief appearance at Tenis Club IDU on Sunday. However, the Romanian players let it be known how aggrieved they were at the claims by Konta that she had felt threatened by the crowd in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea.

After Nastase was sent off the court, his parting shot a shout of "f***ing bitches" at Konta and Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong, the British number one became tearful during the following game and play was suspended. On the resumption more than 20 minutes later, Konta won five games in a row and the match.

The 25-year-old said what she had experienced would take time to get over and that it had affected her in her 6-1 6-3 defeat by Halep.

"There's obviously an effect that yesterday had on me," Konta said. "However, it has to be about the tennis and I gave my best today with what I had but Simona was better than me. I think it'll be something I'll do my best to overcome and to just understand."

Cirstea was the first to question Konta's version of events after the match on Saturday, with the main objection that play was stopped not at 2-1 in the second set following Natase's unpleasant outburst but after the Romanian had won the next game, and she was backed up by Halep and Begu.

Halep was clearly fired up in front of her home-town crowd and took great delight in an unexpectedly one-sided victory. She said: "I had extra motivation because in my opinion the public was very fair yesterday. They didn't say anything bad, they just were supporting us."

Begu added: "Johanna said that at 3-1 she was feeling threatened by someone. After, to the referee, she said the problem was because Ilie said what he said so, if Ilie said that, it was at 2-1. Then she starts crying after one game?

"Like Sorana said, we've been to countries and I played with a home girl, and everybody was screaming. I didn't start to cry. This is the sport, someone is shouting, someone is screaming during the point, what can you do? All the time complaining about that. You have to adapt, this is tennis, it's not easy."

Konta felt the Romanians did not fully appreciate the circumstances, saying: "With all due respect to Sorana, she wasn't on my side of the court, she didn't feel verbally threatened, she wasn't in my shoes.

"I think there may have been a lack of communication to her about what was going on on my side of the court and I do believe she only had half of the facts. But I think nobody should have to put up with - in life or in any way - to feel verbally threatened and subjected to that sort of abuse.

"I've never been in an environment like that before. Hopefully in a few days' time or a week or however long it takes, it will be something I look back on and say: 'Well yes, at least that's under my belt and another great experience'. But it's not something I would wish anyone to go through."

Watson backed up her team-mate, saying: "When she started to get upset on the court I wanted to cry too. It made me really upset to see that, and especially with how that must have felt. I didn't hear what was said to Jo, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't just start crying and make something up that wasn't true."

The meaningful action had an unfortunate ending, meanwhile, when Begu and stand-in captain Cirstea did not shake hands with Watson or Keothavong. It had been a tight and tense match, with Begu eventually edging out Watson 6-4 7-5 in two hours and two minutes.

The British number two said: "I always shake my opponent's hand after every single match I've ever played. I just think it's a sign of respect, especially after a match like we had. I was very surprised."

Begu put her head in her hands when asked about it and insisted it had been a simple mistake. "Everything that we do, it's not on purpose," she said. "I really wanted to shake the hand at the end, but I was so happy and I just saw Sorana and my team. I think you guys try to put too much negative things on the table."

The defeat extends Britain's wait to return to Fed Cup World Group level into a 25th year, and they desperately need Konta to stick with the competition. The 25-year-old stopped short of committing herself, saying: "I think that's something that time will tell.

"I really enjoy representing my country. It's unfortunate that the events of yesterday overshadowed this competition and especially our tie. Hopefully I'll still be involved."

PA