Summary

  • Result: Italy 3-2 Great Britain

  • Seppi beats Ward 6-4 6-3 6-4

  • Fognini beats Murray 6-3 6-3 6-4

  • Italy into first semi-final since 1998

  • GB's best Davis Cup campaign for 28 years

  1. Postpublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Where is our friend from Stirling who was chanting "we are inside your head" with such little effect at Fabio Fognini in the day's first match?

    I reckon he might have more luck inducing some jitters into the Andreas Seppi game.

    The Italian is up at 40-0, but needlessly gives James Ward hope and gets a little fretful himself as his forehand is correctly called out.

    Ward takes two points, but can't get any closer to a fightback break.

  2. Postpublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    James Ward is up against it here. He finds himself 0-30 adrift, but grits his teeth and sees Andreas Seppi plonk a couple of groundstrokes long to let him off the hook.

  3. Postpublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Andrea Seppi rattles though a service hold to love and getting that first set under his belt looks to have greased his wheels.

  4. Postpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    John Lloyd
    Former British number one on BBC TV

    "This is a dangerous period coming up. Ward has to come out and play solid tennis."

  5. Postpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Dominic Inglot
    British doubles player talking to BBC TV

    "There's still a lot of time left in this match. James has to say to himself 'let's start again'."

  6. GAME AND FIRST SETpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    James Ward opens up his shoulders and uses all of those long levers to fire away a forehand winner. That was pinpoint, but he lands the wrong side of the line on the next two to give Andreas Seppi a break and set point.

    Seppi is not having to do to much to induce those mistakes to be honest. His final stroke of the set is central, into mid-court but, crucially, in. That is more than can said for Ward who, trying to push the pace, pumps long.

    Seppi has a set cushion and that should help settle those infamous nerves.

  7. Postpublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    We are back up and running in Naples. James Ward to serve for Britain.

  8. Postpublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Jonathan Overend
    BBC Sport commentator

    Italy v Great Britain

    "There was no need for the covers during the rain break. And there's no need for sweaters now. The sun is back out."

  9. Davis Cup elsewherepublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Stanislas WawrinkaImage source, AP

    Over in Geneva, Switzerland are fighting for their lives for the right to face the winner of this Great Britain v Italy tie.

    With the hosts trailing 2-1 overnight, Stanislas Wawrinka has clawed his way back to one set all in the first of the reverse singles against Mikhail Kukushkin.

    In Nancy, France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has beaten Tobias Kamke in straight set to level the tie against Germany at 2-2 ahead of the final rubber.

  10. Postpublished at 14:40 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Italy v Great Britain

    BBC Tennis on Twitter:, external Fans on their way back to their seats. Shouldn't be off for too long.

  11. Postpublished at 14:40 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    While we are waiting, why not take a trip over to Andreas Seppi's personal website. The Italian keeps a list updated with top 50 players he has beaten., external Among the notches on his bedpost are Rafael Nadal (in Rotterdam in 2008), Stanislas Wawrinka (in Rome in 2012) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (in Sydney in 2008).

  12. Postpublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    It looks like the line judges' chairs are being righted courtside in Naples. Certainly the spectators' umbrellas have been folded away. We may not be too far from a resumption in play.

  13. Postpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Andy Murray tells BBC Sport's Russell Fuller that fatigue was not to blame for his defeat to Fabio Fognini: "He played some great stuff in important periods of the match," he adds. "That was the main difference. When I had my opportunities I was a bit disappointed with myself. When he had his, he was quite exceptional.

    "I was tired when I got up, but I did ok physically in the match. I have felt worse in matches on clay. The atmosphere was a Davis Cup atmosphere. You don't get that on a day to day basis on the ATP tour. I just asked one time for the [Italian] captain not to speak because I was serving. That's not a major issue at all."

  14. Postpublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Jonathan Overend
    BBC Sport commentator

    "Seppi might be in the lead, but he is far from settled. Umbrellas are going up in the crowd but you can play on in pretty steady drizzle on clay."

  15. Postpublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Raindrops spotting the camera lens, brollies blossoming in the stands, and the players are going to take a seat for a moment or two to see if this shower passes.

    It isn't. The players are heading back indoors. Forty-four minutes on the clock, the opening set on serve and we are none the wiser as to the destiny of this Davis Cup quarter-final.

  16. Ward breakspublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    With a wide open court to aim at and a hanging ball to deal with at the front of the court, Andreas Seppi contrives to smash the ball a good couple of metres long. You can hear the nerves creaking as the Italian attempts to serve out the opening set.

    Another pokey stroke wide and James Ward lives to fight another day in the first set.

  17. Postpublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Russell Fuller
    BBC tennis correspondent, courtside in Naples

    "Seppi is not a man in great form despite being 34 in the world. He tends to win about 50% of his matches. He lost to Murray, but will he beat Ward?"

  18. Seppi breakspublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    Serves are a seriously endangered species in this one. James Ward, lacking consistency with his groundstrokes, is hounded out of the game as Andreas Seppi catches a return as sweet as a nut. Ward can only parry into the net as he tries to protect himself as much as get the ball back into court.

  19. Postpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    BBC Radio 5 live

    Andy Murray has been speaking to BBC Sport after his defeat to Fabio Fognini and says James Ward is capable of defeating Andrea Seppi. "James played a great match on Friday and has played his best tennis in the Davis Cup over the course of his career," says Murray. "There's a lot of pressure on Seppi, James can use that to his advantage."

  20. Postpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 6 April 2014

    John Lloyd
    Former British number one on BBC TV

    "James Ward now knows that even if he does go behind that Seppi is not a great holder of his serve. James is right back in this match again."