By Tony Fairbairn
- Dan Evans is ready for Davis Cup ‘passion’ ahead of 15 year anniversary since playing first tie
- Group D: Great Britain, Argentina, Canada, Finland
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Dan Evans is ready to embrace the Davis Cup ‘passion’ as he celebrates his 15 year anniversary of playing the Davis Cup in Manchester.
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It’s that time again as 16 teams bid to earn a place in the Davis Cup last eight tournament in Malaga at the end of the year. In order for Great Britain and the other 15 teams to do that they will need to go through the group stages which is taking place in four different locations this week.
Group A is taking place in Bologna where defending champions Italy are taking on the Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil. Group B is taking place in Valencia as Spain will face Australia, Czech Republic and France. Meanwhile Group C will be taking place in Zhuhai as Germany, USA, Chile and Slovakia bid for a place in the final eight.
However the main focus will be on Group D which once again takes place at the AO Arena in Manchester as Great Britain will look to reach the final eight once again. In order to do that they will have to overcome Argentina, Canada and Finland as Leon Smith’s side look to better the quarter-final result from last year.
Speaking ahead of the group stages Leon Smith said he is looking forward to another strong week in Manchester after last year’s success where they overcame a tough French team to qualify for the last eight.
“The support in Manchester last year was incredible – the crowds turned out in record numbers and carried us over the line in a tight and dramatic final day,” Smith told the LTA website.
“We’ve got a really strong team once again and I’m sure it’s going to be another special week in Manchester in September.”
As Andy Murray departs the tennis stage it’s now up to Dan Evans to be the experienced head in the team as the Brit enters this week having made history at the US Open for the longest singles match ever played in New York.
This week celebrates Evans’ 15 year anniversary of playing in the Davis Cup where he made his debut against Poland. Although Evans said it wasn’t a good weekend in terms of the result it taught him a lot about tennis as he gets ready for another sensational week in Manchester.
“I didn’t know it was that long (since his debut) – it’s pretty good to have played for that long,” Evans told the LTA website.
“The team’s changed quite a lot since my debut. It was a pretty bad one, we lost the tie. There’s been plenty of good memories since then and I’ve enjoyed every moment, even the tough ones have been fun to look back on.“My ranking wasn’t very good when I started playing Davis Cup and it was sort of my introduction to professional tennis and the tour. I did well at the start, and it really helped me progress in the rankings and gave me a lot of belief that I could play at that level.
“You’re playing with your teammates and its always a very good week. There’s a lot of passion, a lot of pride and great excitement to be around the guys and get out there and represent your country. It’s always an amazing week and something we all look forward to.
“The crowd is a lot bigger than the average ATP tour match, especially if you play first round. We play in such a good arena here in Manchester. We effectively get three home ties in this format and the crowd really get behind us.”
Joining Evans in the team this week is US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper as well as Davis Cup debutant Billy Harris. Meanwhile Neal Skupski and current Wimbledon champion Henry Patten provide a new look for the doubles team in Manchester this week.
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Auger-Aliassime’s Canada headlines group stage opposition
Great Britain’s final opponents of the week will be Canada, who are the strongest opposition of the week with the team being headlined by Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov. Canada are former champions of this format of the Davis Cup and will provide a stern test for the British team.
Before facing Canada, Great Britain will face Argentina on Friday with strong singles players such as Sebastian Baez, Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry while the doubles team of Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez will provide big test for a new-look British doubles team.
The first test of the week will be on Wednesday against Finland who will be without Emil Ruusuvuori as the Fin is taking a mental health break for the rest of the season. However Patten’s doubles partner Harri Heliovaara will be representing the team as Finland look to cause a shock just like they did last year when they beat USA in the group stages.
Group Stage Schedule
Tuesday 10th September: Canada v Argentina
Wednesday 11th September: Great Britain v Finland
Thursday 12th September: Canada v Finland
Friday 13th September: Great Britain v Argentina
Saturday 14th September: Argentina v Finland
Sunday 15th September: Great Britain v Canada
Team Nominations
Great Britain
Jack Draper
Dan Evans
Billy Harris
Henry Patten
Neal Skupski
Captain: Leon Smith
Argentina
Sebastian Baez
Francisco Cerundolo
Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Andres Molteni
Maximo Gonzalez
Captain: Guillermo Coria
Canada
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Denis Shapovalov
Gabriel Diallo
Alexis Galarneau
Vasek Pospisil
Captain: Frank Dancevic
Finland
Otto Virtanen
Eero Vasa
Patrick Kaukovalta
Harri Heliovaara
Patrik Niklas-Salminen
Captain: Jarkko Nieminen
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