• Spain’s Carreño Busta and Feliciano López win in straight sets • GB trail 2-1 in Marbella and must win both reverse singles

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Britain face an uphill task to rescue their Davis Cup tie with Spain after Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot lost in straight sets to Pablo Carreño-Busta and Feliciano López.

Cameron Norrie rocks Roberto Bautista Agut as GB level Spain Davis Cup tie Read more

Cameron Norrie’s heroics in Friday’s second singles rubber had levelled the World Group first-round tie at 1-1 and given the visitors a chance to pull off a shock victory in Marbella.

But Murray and Inglot never threatened to replicate that performance at Club de Tenis Puente Romano as the untested Spanish pair ran out 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) winners in two hours 28 minutes.

One break of serve in each of the first two sets was enough to give Carreño-Busta and López a commanding lead, with the British pair unable to convert the sole break point they created.

Murray and Inglot dug deep to save two break points in the 11th game of the third set but quickly fell 5-1 down in the tie-break and their opponents duly closed out the match to take a big step closer to a place in the quarter-finals.

In today’s reverse singles, Norrie is scheduled to take on Albert Ramos Viñolas and Liam Broady due to face Roberto Bautista-Agut, although both sides are allowed to make changes. Kyle Edmund, the Australian Open semi-finalist who has been struggling with a hip injury, could be drafted in by Britain.

The former world No 1 Novak Djokovic has had a “small medical intervention” on his troublesome elbow and says he is now on a “good road to full recovery”.

The 30-year-old Serbian last month suffered a recurrence of his elbow problems in a fourth-round loss to 21-year-old South Korean Chung Hyeon at the Australian Open.

He posted on Instagram late on Friday evening: “I agreed with my team that I would try different methods after I finish in Australia and a few days ago I accepted to do a small medical intervention on my elbow.

“It seems like I am on the good road now to full recovery. It’s quite a journey this one, I have to say. I’m learning a lot and for that I’m grateful. I am super positive and excited to follow my recovery through so I can come back to the place I love the most. The court.”