Great Britain are well placed to secure victory on the final day of this Davis Cup tie, after the Murray brothers sealed an impressive result in the doubles yesterday, giving the home side a 2-1 overall lead.
The younger Murray will hope Dan Evans will not be called upon this afternoon, as he looks to continue his impressive form against Kei NIshikori, Japan’s number one, and the world number six, in what promises to be a very exciting contest. History suggests Murray goes into this game as favourite, having lost to Nishikori just once since 2011. Although the fact this loss came on an indoor hard court at the ATP Tour Finals will encourage the Japan squad. But the imperious form Andy Murray is currently enjoying, should prove too much for Nishikori. If he maintains the high level of serve that has been a feature of his game so far this tournament, he will be a very tough player to beat.
The outcome of a possible Daniel Evans v. Taro Daniel match would be much harder to call, should the fifth game be necessary to decide a winner. Sitting 70 places higher in the rankings, Taro Daniel, it would appear, should comfortably beat an inconsistent performer in Dan Evans. But Evans is a big match player. And with a home crowd behind him, his level will certainly rise to the occasion. In their three previous meetings, Dan Evans has won two, so the result does certainly not appear inevitable.
Caspar Goodwin.
