By Frank Dalleres
Andy Murray is no stranger to overcoming adversity but even he may have bitten off more than he can chew with his latest Davis Cup prediction.
The former world No1 raised eyebrows on the eve of this week’s group stage by claiming that Great Britain could emulate his class of 2015 and win the World Cup of tennis this year.
It was a bold statement considering that GB have lifted the trophy just once in the last 50 years and have failed to get past the quarter-finals in four of their last five attempts.
But it looks even bolder in light of the stiff opposition that Murray and the rest of the team face over the next few days, despite having home advantage and a strong line-up.
Tough group
Britain begin their campaign at Manchester’s AO Arena against last year’s beaten finalists Australia on Wednesday, perhaps their toughest match of the week.
The Aussies boast world No12 Alex de Minaur, three more top-75 singles players and a top-10 ranked doubles player in Matthew Ebden.
But it doesn’t get much easier as the group goes on, with the hosts facing a Switzerland team led by three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka on Friday.
And on Sunday the group of death culminates with Britain taking on France, whose strong Davis Cup record includes winning the title in 2017 and reaching the final a year later.
Strong line-up
In their favour, Leon Smith does have one of the strongest British Davis Cup line-ups in recent memory at his disposal.
Murray, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans are all top-50 ranked players, while rising star Jack Draper, who reached the last 16 at the US Open, could be in line for his first appearance in the competition.
Throw in doubles specialist Neal Skupski and if anything there may be too much choice for Smith, who must select for two singles rubbers and a doubles in each match.
Murray, meanwhile, has conceded that he may have to settle for a watching brief as he and old friend Smith plot another unlikely triumph.
Sleeping with the enemy
De Minaur ought to feel more at home in Manchester than his team-mates, having spent time in the UK since dating British No1 Katie Boulter.
The relationship has also brought him closer to some of his opponents this week – not that there is any danger of divided loyalties.
“We always give each other a little bit of crap if our nation wins. It’s always a great competitive spirit between us,” Di Minaur said.
His expected clash with Norrie could go a long way to deciding the match, and whether either team grabs the top-two finish needed to progress to November’s finals in Spain.
Big crowds
Partisan crowds can play a big part in the Davis Cup and Britain should have no shortage of backing for their Group B campaign.
Helped by a marketing push and tickets which start at £10, 8,000 fans are expected for the clashes against Australia and Switzerland.
Sunday’s potential group decider with France, meanwhile, is already sold out and expected to set a new record of 12,000 spectators for a David Cup tie in Britain.
Murray’s musings
Even if they make it through the group, Britain would have to win three more matches in the knockout stage in Malaga to claim the title – a tall order.
“I do genuinely believe the team can win the event. That’s huge motivation to be a part of it,” Murray said on Monday.
In fairness, he ought to know, having produced one of the most individually-reliant Davis Cup wins of all time eight years ago in Ghent, although that remains a huge outlier in Britain’s record.
Perhaps he has bitten off more than he can chew, or maybe it will be doubters eating their words instead.
