BASINGSTOKE tennis ace Josh Goodall sent a message to British Davis Cup captain John Lloyd by winning a Futures tournament in Nottingham.

The British number three was dropped by the Great Britain team for the critical tie against Poland last weekend.

While Dan Evans struggled for Great Britain, who lost 3-2, higher ranked Goodall reeled off seven singles wins on the trot to take the crown in the Lace City.

After winning two games to qualify, Goodall made it all the way to the final, dropping just one set on route He beat fellow Brit David Rice in the final 6-4, 6-3, this after beating Chris Eaton, who famously won a singles match at Wimbledon in 2008 7-5, 6-4.

A quarter-final clash with doubles partner Matt Illingworth saw his only dropped set as he lost the opener 6-2, before storming back to take the match on a tie-break 7-4.

In his first two rounds of the main draw, Goodall saw off Takanyi Garanganya 6-4, 7-6 and then Jonathan Brooklyn 6-3. 6-3.

The Basingstoke-born player just missed out on second success at the same tournament, as he and Illingworth were edged out in the doubles final by second seeds Eaton and Dominic Inglot 6-3, 6-4.

Unseeded Brits Goodall and Illingworth reached the final, knocking out the number one seeds James Ludlow and Colin O’Brien on the way in an exciting tie-break set in round two 10-7.

Goodall will take great confidence from this victory and will now look to improve his world ranking, which is currently 235 and surely should see him back in the Davis Cup team.

His chances are even higher after Great Britain were relegated to the competition’s wilderness with Andy Murray unlikely to play in their next fixture in Lithuania on March 5-7, 2010.