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Doubles pair seal Davis Cup win over Turkey

Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski sealed Britain's first Davis Cup victory since 2007 © Getty Images

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Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski sealed a first Davis Cup win in nearly three years as Great Britain avoided a sixth straight defeat and relegation to the bottom tier of world tennis.

Fleming and Skupski, otherwise known as Flemski, beat Haluk Akkoyun and Ergun Zorlu 6-3 6-4 6-4 to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead against Turkey and ensure the team's survival in Group II of the Europe/Africa Zone.

After singles victories for Jamie Baker and James Ward gave Britain a comfortable 2-0 lead on Friday, the doubles pair wrapped up the victory to render the results of Sunday's reverse singles rubbers immaterial.

Britain's hopes of victory were handed a boost on Saturday morning when Turkish No. 1 Marsel Ilhan, who lost to Ward in the singles on Friday, pulled out of the doubles to be replaced by Zorlu.

Fleming and Skupski were in control from the outset but were unable to find a way through until the eighth game, but they clinched the first set with a double break, and they continued their dominance, breaking immediately in the second to heap the pressure on the Turkish pair.

Although the Turks broke straight back, it was merely a case of when, rather than if, the pair wrapped up the victory, and they sealed a straight sets win to mark a winning start to Leon Smith's captaincy and a first British Davis Cup victory since September 2007.

Smith paid tribute to the team but insisted there was still a long way to go.

"All week, the guys have done a great job, a great team spirit, thanks to the public for the support, and I'm really proud of the boys," he said. "It's not getting carried away, it's about moving forward in British Tennis as a whole, and this is a good starting block to build from again."

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