Davis Cup GB v Russia

[Sir David Gray]

Britain is in action this weekend at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

They are playing Russia in the Europe/Africa Zone I and whoever wins will progress to the World Group play offs with a chance of getting promoted into the top league for the first time since they were relegated in 2008.

In the first rubber Dan Evans lost in 5 sets to Dmitry Tursunov to put the Russians one up in the tie. However it's looking like it's going to be all square at the end of day one as James Ward is currently a set and 3-2 up against Evgeny Donskoy.

Considering that Donskoy is ranked more than 100 places above Ward, it would be a great win for him and would put Britain in a great position ahead of the doubles tomorrow.

Live action is on the LTA website just now.

[Sir David Gray]

Ward goes two sets up against Donskoy.

Looks a stick on to be 1-1 after day one.

[Sir David Gray]

Perhaps I jumped the gun a little bit with my previous post!

Donskoy has levelled the match at two sets all but Ward has just held his serve to go 5-4 up in the decider.

Donskoy about to serve to stay in the match.

[Sir David Gray]

Not looking good.

Donskoy breaks to go 7-6 up in the final set.

He's about to serve for the match and to give Russia a 2-0 lead in the tie.

[Sir David Gray]

Ward loses 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 8-6 after almost 4 hours and Russia now hold a 2-0 lead in the tie.

Almost impossible to pull it back from here.

Unfortunately the lack of any depth in British men's tennis has been shown up yet again.

Outwith Andy Murray, there's no-one.

[jodjam]

Ward loses 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 8-6 after almost 4 hours and Russia now hold a 2-0 lead in the tie.

Almost impossible to pull it back from here.

Unfortunately the lack of any depth in British men's tennis has been shown up yet again.

Outwith Andy Murray, there's no-one.

Game on now. Fifth rubber. Well done to take it so far without Murray against better players

[jodjam]

Evans set and break up. This would be a great win

[Sir David Gray]

I take back what I said in my previous post.

Dan Evans has just beaten Evgeny Donskoy 6-4 6-4 6-1 to take GB into the play offs for the World Group.

Evans is ranked outside the top 300 and for him to win against someone who's ranked 80th in the world just now is incredible.

Well done to him and also James Ward before him who beat Dmitry Tursunov earlier today in five sets, and also for Colin Fleming and Jonathan Marray who won the doubles yesterday.

It'll be tough in the next match, regardless of who it's against, but Britain's going to need Andy Murray back in the team for that one but it's very impressive that they've managed to do that without him.

It's in September so it'll be after the US Open so he should be able to fit that into his schedule.

Russia might not have the likes of Davydenko and Safin in their ranks anymore but Tursunov and Donskoy are both ranked comfortably inside the top 100 and Britain has no-one that comes anywhere near to that sort of level, outside of Murray.

[Sir David Gray]

Here is a list of the nations that Britain could face in that world group play off in September.

All of their top 100 players listed as well.

SPAIN

4-David Ferrer
5-Rafael Nadal
12-Nicolas Almagro
30-Fernando Verdasco
34-Feliciano Lopez
36-Marcel Granollers
48-Daniel Gimeno-Traver
51-Albert Ramos
56-Pablo Andujar
59-Roberto Bautista Agut
72-Tommy Robredo
87-Albert Montanes
99-Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

CROATIA

11-Marin Cilic
53-Ivan Dodig

BELGIUM

49-Xavier Malisse
64-David Goffin

BRAZIL

40-Thomaz Bellucci

ISRAEL

NONE

GERMANY

14-Tommy Haas
21-Philipp Kohlschreiber
28-Florian Mayer
69-Daniel Brands
82-Tobias Kamke
95-Benjamin Becker
100-Philipp Petzschner

AUSTRIA

37-Jurgen Melzer

SWITZERLAND

3-Roger Federer
17-Stanislas Wawrinka

I would say that Britain wants to get either Israel or Austria to have the best chance of getting promoted.

They certainly want to avoid Spain and Switzerland and probably Germany as well.

[jodjam]

I'm guessing GB will be away from home but it would be nice to see nadal playing in the braehead shopping centre.

[Sir David Gray]

I'm guessing GB will be away from home but it would be nice to see nadal playing in the braehead shopping centre.

It certainly would. :greengrin

If it was Spain or Switzerland that Britain got and it was played at Braehead and Nadal or Federer were going to be playing, I would quite fancy getting tickets.

[Wilson]

Croatia away...

[Sir David Gray]

Croatia away...

At least they've avoided Spain, Switzerland and Germany but it's still a very tough tie.

You've got to think that Andy Murray will be good for two points out of the five and I'm assuming that Marin Cilic will play so he'll beat the British number two player, whoever that may be.

It just depends on whether or not the British number two player (James Ward/Dan Evans) will be able to beat their number two player (probably Ivan Dodig). It would be a tough ask but not unimaginable.

If they did manage to win that tie then that should be enough but if they lost then it would probably come down to the doubles tie.

The advantage that Britain would have there is that their top doubles players (Jonathan Marray/Colin Fleming) would not be playing in the singles, whereas Croatia's would (Cilic/Dodig). If they chose not to play them in the doubles then their 3rd and 4th best doubles players are ranked outside the top 100.

It could have been easier and having a home tie would clearly have been better but it's one that Britain could win.