Clinical serving gives Brits a boost

Great Britain got their Davis Cup campaign off to a flying start with two straight sets victories from both Evans and debutant Billy Harris.

In both matches, it was the impressive serving from the Brits that stood out as the defining factor behind such strong fashion wins straight out the gate.

Evans and Harris have very different serving styles, but both were clinical when their first serve landed. While he might not have the pace and power of Harris, Evans’s variety and placement caused Vasa huge issues in the first rubber, with the 34-year-old winning 92% (33/36) points off his first serve.

A tough act to follow but one that 29-year-old Harris was more than up for and in his first set of Davis Cup tennis, the Brit won 95% (19/20) points on first serve and saved two break points.

Even after being broken in the second set, Harris quickly steadied the ship and only lost three points on serve the rest of the way.  

Harris replicates tour form under the lights in Manchester

It was a day to remember for Harris – not only making his debut and becoming LTA Colour Holder No.326 – but also winning the match that sealed the tie for Great Britain.

While many may have been expecting to see Draper line up for the British team, captain Leon Smith called upon Harris to face Finland’s top-ranked starter Otto Virtanen in front of a packed-out AO Arena.

Harris has been in phenomenal form this year and made three semi-finals and one quarter-final during the grass court season, which included the Rothesay International Eastbourne and cinch Championships, on his way to his current ranking at world No.101.

The form was there but representing your country for the first time is a tough challenge for any player – but any sign of nerves was quickly squashed in the opening few games.

What was striking about Harris’s performance was his composure, especially when facing a player in Virtanen, whose form seemed to rise and fall throughout the match.

He was able to match the Finn’s aggressive playing style with his own and came out on top in the biggest points. He took the only break in an impressive opening set and even when faced with adversity late in the second when Virtanen was building his game, he held strong to force a tie-break and eventually take the win.

It was a mature performance from a player who has grinded it out at various levels of the game over the years to reach the point where he’s captured a first win wearing his country’s flag on his chest.

After the match, Harris said that despite all his previous successes in a breakout season, this win in Manchester ranked as the best of all.

“I think this has just topped it for me (highlights of the year). We play week in and week out for ourselves but first time playing for my country, and it was a great start.”

Finnish lifeline could prove decisive for both teams

Finnish doubles team Harri Heliovaara and Virtanen spoiled Great Britain’s chances of what would have been a very important clean sweep, as they beat Evans and Neal Skupski 7-6(4), 7-5 in the final rubber.

It was a close match where both teams had their chances, but it was this year’s Wimbledon champion Heliovaara and Virtanen who managed to save all four break points faced and finally get their breakthrough on Evans’s serve right at the death.

It’s a result that could potentially have huge consequences for both sides. On the one hand, for Finland, it keeps their chances of qualification firmly alive after Argentina also clinched a crucial point in their final rubber against Canada yesterday.

For Great Britain this would have been a chance to take control of the group from day one, with a match advantage over 2022 champions Canada at the top. Come the end of the week, if teams are level on overall tie wins, those individual match wins become the difference between which teams make it to Malaga.

GB captain Smith admitted at the end of the tie that it might prove an opportunity missed for his team come the latter stages of the week.

“We’re going to be disappointed to lose that doubles – that almost came back to bite us last year,” he said.

“I hope it doesn’t this time because that was really important. We knew it would be important to try and get a 3-0 because it sets you up for the rest of the week, so we have a lot of work to do now.”

Great Britain will play Argentina in their second tie on Friday 13 September at 13:00.

Tickets are still available for the Davis Cup from as little as £10 for adults and £5 for under 18s.

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