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Great Britain will play in the Davis Cup Finals last eight in Malaga this November after a dramatic victory over France.
Dan Evans and Neal Skupski saved four match points as the Manchester inspired Team GB over the line, with Andy Murray, Cam Norrie and Jack Draper joining the wild celebrations.
“It was bonkers. I don’t know what we’ve all sat through for nine hours,” British captain Leon Smith said. While Evans added: “The singles is the singles and I feel comfortable on that court, but the doubles was chaos. It’s emotional. You want to be with these guys in the finals. It’s an immensely proud moment for me and the team.” Follow the draw for the Final 8 below, where Great Britain will be joined by Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Serbia:
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Great Britain’s Dan Evans on the magic of the Davis Cup
“Davis Cup is why I played tennis at the start,” says Dan Evans.
“I remember watching the Birmingham ties, finishing late on a Sunday night. That was my first introduction to professional tennis really.
“That was the be-all and end-all to play Davis Cup for my country – and it still is. I’m not a nervous person but before you play Davis Cup it is a different feeling.”
Dan Evans helped Great Britain reach the last eight of the Davis Cup (Martin Rickett/PA)
Davis Cup 2023: Neal Skupski on Great Britain’s victory over France
“There was no panic,” Neal Skupski said after victory over France.
“We just went to the next point. I knew if we got through that game somehow the momentum was going to swing our way.”
Neal Skupski celebrates victory against France (Martin Rickett/PA)
Evans and Skupski likely to form doubles partnership
Neal Skupski is currently ranked third in the world in doubles, and together with Dan Evans forms Great Britain’s current first choice partnership.
Evans has also played 33 singles matches, claiming victory over France’s Arthur Ils and Australia’s Alex De Minaur in the group stages.
Former world number one Andy Murray paired with Joe Salisbury in the 2022 edition of the competiton, but lost in games against The Netherlands and USA.
The Czech Republic and Canada will be drawn against either Australia or Finland
Group winners Czech Republic and Canada will be drawn against either Australia or Finland on the other side of the draw.
Finland finished second in Group D despite winning the same amounts of points as The Netherlands due to losing in their head-to-head match against them.
Great Britain to face either Serbia or Italy in next round
Great Britain will be drawn against either Novak Djokovic’s or Italy when the draw starts at 11am.
Italy made it through Group A without Jannik Sinner or Matteo Berrettini, which shows the level of depth they boast should the pair return for Malaga.
Serbia meanwhile lost all three games against The Czech Republic to finish second in Group C, but of course boast world number one Djokovic, who has won 39 singles matches since his first appearance in the competition in 2004.
Two singles wins from Kyle Edmunds in 2016 saw defending champions Great Britain defeat Serbia in Belgrade in the quarter-final.
Davis Cup Final 8 draw LIVE
A bit of behind the scenes roaring from the Brits!!
Leon Smith tips Great Britain for chance of Davis Cup glory in Malaga
Great Britain are dreaming of more Davis Cup glory after pulling off a remarkable victory over France to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
Needing victory in their final tie at a sold-out AO Arena in Manchester to reach the knock-out stages, it went all the way to a final-set tie-break in the last rubber, with Dan Evans and Neal Skupski saving four match points against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin before triumphing 1-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6).
When a final French return flew long, Evans and Skupski fell to court before leaping into each others’ arms then celebrating with the rest of the team.
Evans was Britain’s key man across the three ties, winning four rubbers, including two against France having battled from behind to see off teenager Arthur Fils in the opening singles.
Leon Smith tips Great Britain for chance of Davis Cup glory in Malaga
Dan Evans and Neal Skupski saved four match points in the deciding doubles to send Britain through to the last eight
Current Davis Cup format set to stay despite being branded ‘a clear disaster’
The current Davis Cup format has been branded a “disaster” and “wrong”, but players’ calls for the return of home-and-away ties look set to be rejected.
Since 2019, the historic competition has been converted to a World Cup-style event with group stages and matches on neutral soil, but low crowd numbers have attracted consistent criticism.
Stan Wawrinka posted a video on social media on Tuesday showing virtually empty stands in Manchester for Switzerland’s tie against France, a stark contrast to the 9,000-strong crowd that attended Britain’s contest with Australia the following day.
Current Davis Cup format set to stay despite being branded ‘a clear disaster’
There has been criticism of poor attendance for matches played on neutral territory.
When is Davis Cup Final 8 draw?
Great Britain reached the Davis Cup Final 8 this weekend after Dan Evans and Neal Skupski overcame France in a dramatic decider.
Former world number one Andy Murray missed out on selection, but captain Leon Smith’s chosen pair saved four match points to ensure they reached the knockout stages of the competition.
Murray had previously given Great Britain a winning start against Switzerland, and then broke down after the win as he revealed he had missed his grandmother’s funeral in order to play in the tie.
Great Britain will be hoping to claim the competition for the first time since 2015 after winning all three matches to finish top of Group B. Here’s everything you need to know about the draw and the final eight:
When is Davis Cup Final 8 draw?
Great Britain could face Italy or Serbia in the quarter-finals
‘Kids these days’: Andy Murray unimpressed by Jack Draper’s Davis Cup celebrations
Andy Murray was left unimpressed by Jack Draper’s celebrations as the two British tennis players shared a car journey home from a thrilling Davis Cup win over France.
Great Britain advanced to the last eight of the competition as Dan Evans and Neal Skupski won a deciding tie break against France’s Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Evans and Skupski saved four match points on their way to an eventual 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) win.
‘Kids these days’: Andy Murray unimpressed by Jack Draper’s Davis Cup celebrations
Great Britain reached the last eight of the Davis Cup with a thrilling win against France
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