Annacone replaces Lundgren as Davis Cup coach

Lundgren, who is thought to have had a contract for working around 15 weeks per year, leaves less than a year after he is reported to have slurred his words at a major pre-Wimbledon coaching seminar.

Lundgren: lifestyle issues'

While there has been no repeat of that incident, it is believed that general lifestyle issues have been a factor in the departure of the hefty 45-year-old Swede, with the LTA insistent that their coaches set a good example in the drive to lift standards of professionalism among young British players.

Another major factor is that he no longer works individually with Davis Cup players such as Alex Bogdanovic, who is now under the guidance of Andy Murray's ex-coach Brad Gilbert.

Lundgren has also been keen to spend more time in his native country where his father is unwell.

American Annacone, a former coach to Tim Henman, said: 'I'm really looking forward to working with [Davis Cup captain] John Lloyd and being part of the Cup team.

'It's a key competition in the tennis calendar and is always a unique occasion for everyone involved.

'In my role as head coach of men's tennis I've spent a great deal of time working with players who have already represented Great Britain and players who are on the fringes of the team.

'Hopefully, this will enable me to have a positive impact in a very effective and efficient way.

'Winning in September and staying in the World Group is obviously a key focus for us, but just as vital is working with those younger players who may be capable of stepping up and thriving in a Davis Cup environment in the near future.'

Great Britain's opponents in September's World Group play-offs will be announced on April 16.

British involvement at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami has long since ended, and it has been left to Andy Roddick and Roger Federer to set up a tasty semi-final after the American beat Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Considering that he is tennis's king of the oneliners, Roddick has been surprisingly tongue-tied when it came to discussing his recent engagement.

The 26-year-old American, who has described himself as the 'best bad tennis player in the world' due to his hustling style and overreliance on the serve, was suddenly all coy.

He is due to marry 20-year-old swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, but did not much want to discuss it, apart from confirming the news and venturing: 'I might just have lost half my fan base.'

You could equally understand it if he wanted to skirt around the subject of facing the world No 1, as Federer holds a 15-1 record against him.

But the five-times Wimbledon champion has suffered a bout of glandular fever and a series of surprise reverses in recent matches.

As Roddick has put it in his inimitable way: 'Even if you were Einstein at the brain Olympics, it's bound to have some effect.'

In the women's event, Venus Williams missed out on a semi-final against sister Serena when she lost 6-4, 6-4 to Svetlana Kuznetsova.