So much of any form of top level sport is played in the mind and the nagging self doubts that have so long prevented Alex Bogdanovic from legitimising the undoubted talent he possesses again cost Britain dear in the Davis Cup’s World Group play-off against Austria.

Bogdanovic, who former British Davis Cup captain Roger Taylor once said owned a left-handed backhand that reminded him of none other than Rod Laver, seemed to be in a perfect position as he lead by a set and 4-1 with two break points against the far higher ranked Jurgen Melzer.

But being in a strong position and finishing off the job are two very different things as Bogdanovic has known so many times throughout his career. There are reasons why the 24 year-old has never broken his way into the world’s top 100 or indeed ever won a singles match at Wimbledon in seven attempts and the ability to make the most of such a situation is unfortunately predominant in the list.

Of course Bogdanovic was facing a difficult battle, ranked at 162 in the world compared to Melzer’s current position of 41, and in the end he found the internal pressures too much. He left the court after crumbling to a 3-6,7-6,6-2,6-1 defeat a hugely disappointed and distinctly distraught individual and it now it rests with captain John Lloyd to restore a semblance of self-belief that could be so important given the fact Bogdanovic could well have to play the crucial fifth rubber on Sunday.

Time and again successive British captains have tried to bolster the Bogdanovic confidence. Taylor have him his debut in Australia five and a half years ago and optimism ran wild as he took a set off then world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt and then beat doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge in a dead rubber. Since then there has been nothing but disappointment and it’s a reasonable assumption to make that if Lloyd was able to call on the services of the far lower ranked Jamie Baker, unavailable as he is still recovering full fitness after a life-threatening blood disorder, then Bogdanovic would have been a spectator at best.

Aside from the unlikely possibility of giving Josh Goodall a debut, Lloyd had no other option and Britain are now forced to suffer the consequences. After holding such a strong position, Murray allowed Melzer to make three decisive winners and then managed to win just five more games.

Sadly this is always likely to be the case for the Belgrade-born player who moved to Britain at the age of nine.