The top player for Switzerland during this week's Davis Cup tie, Yann Marti, has reportedly quit the team because he was not selected for singles. The country does not have its Top 3—Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka and the injured No. 237 Marco Chiudinelli—for the tie against Belgium.
Team captain Severin Luthi left the 26-year-old No. 292 Marti out of the lineup for the first two singles matches, going with No. 344 Henri Laaskonen and No. 576 Michael Lammer instead.
"It's the biggest disappointment of my career," said Marti, who was making his first Davis Cup appearance. "It seems like [Luthi] doesn't have confidence in me. I had the impression I trained a lot during the whole week, I fought... Obviously, it wasn't enough. It's decision of the captain, it has to be respected."
Luthi said, "It's not something against Marti. I wanted experience and we've got the most experience we can have." Both Laaskonen and Lammer have previously played in Davis Cup. "It's important for us to start well."
Belgium will now also not have its top player for the first singles rubber after David Goffin withdrew with a back injury. Steve Darcis, ranked No. 102, will be Belgium's lead player in the opening singles matches.