By Chris Oddo | Wednesday March3, 2016
Andy Murray and Great Britain will begin their bid for a Davis Cup repeat this weekend vs. Japan.
Photo Source: Davis Cup
There are a myriad of intriguing storylines to ponder on the eve of the first round of the 2016 Davis Cup World Group. Emotional winners in 2015, Great Britain will begin its title defense with its first meeting against Japan since 1931. In that tie, Andy Murray’s will play his first competitive tennis since becoming a father and tennis fans everywhere are looking forward to Murray and and Japan's top dog Kei Nishikori doing battle in one of the marquee matchups of the weekend.
It's Official: Kyrgios out, Hewitt in for Aussies
It’s not every Davis Cup weekend that the world No. 1 takes part, so fans in Belgrade should also be extra adrenalized when their hero Novak Djokovic leads the Serbs against the always tricky Kazakhs. Over in Australia the two most decorated Davis Cup teams in history (the two teams have combined to win 60 titles over the years) will battle in one of the weekend’s two outdoor ties—and who doesn’t love a little grass-court tennis in March?
Even crazier: Lleyton Hewitt is out of retirement to replace Nick Kyrgios, so the Aussie’s first tie as captain should be extra interesting.
And that’s not all. Poland will compete in the World Group for the first time, a milestone for them whether they win or lose against Argentina, and a chance for the fans in Gdansk to go crazy for Jerzy Janowicz and his team, while Italy will come in as a favorite against a Swiss team that will be without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.
What’s great about all Davis Cup weekends is that we can count on heroes emerging, whether they be big names like Murray or Djokovic, or lesser-known names like Carlos Berlocq, Lukas Kubot, Andrey Golubev or Alexander Zverev. That’s the beauty of the competition. It’s a team sport, and it is always emotionally supercharged.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all eight World Group Ties:
Great Britain Hosts Japan in Birmingham
Andy Murray has won 11 straight Davis Cup rubbers since falling to Fabio Fognini in Naples in 2014. But Kei Nishikori could be one of his roughest tests of the season. If Nishikori can’t upset Murray it’s very difficult to picture Japan coming away with this tie given how well Great Britain took care of doubles last season.
Australia Hosts U.S.A in Melbourne
The loss of Nick Kyrgios is a big one for the Aussies. Kyrgios is fresh off a title in Marseille and played great all the way through Dubai, but he’s been ruled out due to injury and in comes Lleyton Hewitt to the rescue.
Grass is Lleyton’s best surface, and Davis Cup is his best event, but it is Aussie Sam Groth who will be called upon to do some damage against Americans John Isner and Jack Sock (Hewitt could enter the doubles equation or reverse singles on Sunday). The Americans are a determined group that likes the grass too and they have the Bryan Brothers ready to snatch the all-important doubles rubber. One has to think the Americans chances get a bit better without Kyrgios in the lineup, but let’s not overrule the emotional aspect of Hewitt returning. His presence alone was sure to create some magic in the team, but with him on the court it will be extra special.
Italy Hosts Switzerland in Pesaro
Even without Fabio Fognini, Corrado Barazzutti’s squad should have more than enough firepower to deal with a depleted Swiss team at home on red clay. We feel a sweep coming.
Poland Hosts Argentina
Edit: Poland will be without Janowicz and has instead elected to go with Michal Przysiezny and Hubert Hurkacz, making the host's task even more daunting.
Poland, led by Jerzy Janowicz and at home on a fast hard court could be a very tricky test. But Team Argentina has a long history of finding ways to win in Davis Cup. This is their 15th straight World Group appearance and they reached the semifinals last year. Poland’s success will likely rest in the hands of Janowicz, as their next-highest ranked player in singles is world No. 300 Kamil Majchrzak.
France Hosts Canada in Guadeloupe
Do you believe in miracles? Because that is what it will likely take for a Canadian team without Milos Raonic and Daniel Nestor to take down a deep, formidable French squad on outdoor red clay.
Germany Hosts the Czechs in Hannover
Ooh, this one could be fun. Tomas Berdych is the all-star of this tie, and the Czechs are one of the most dominant Davis Cup teams of the last decade, but 18-year-old German Alexander Zverev could be the wild card in this tie. He had a fantastic February, reaching the semis in Montpellier and the quarters in Rotterdam, and he pushed Berdych to a third set in Marseille in his last match to date. Zverev, who has always played well in Germany, will certainly be one to watch this weekend. And if he and Philipp Kohlschreiber can both summon some magic, this could be the best tie of the weekend.
Serbia hosts Kazakhstan in Belgrade
Without Novak Djokovic, Serbia-Kazakhstan has the makings of a knock-down, drag-out affair. With the world No. 1 in the mix, the dynamic changes dramatically and the Kazakhs will struggle to get one, maybe two points.
Belgium Hosts Croatia in Liege
Belgium made an improbable run to the finals in 2015, falling to Great Britain after a courageous effort. But the team could be ripe for the picking against a talented Croatian team that features daunting Marin Cilic, the hungry Borna Coric and the skilled, experienced Ivan Dodig.