Davis Cup 2016: Andy Murray to play Juan Martin del Potro in opener
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
| Davis Cup semi-final, Great Britain v Argentina |
|---|
| Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow Dates: 16-18 September |
| Coverage: Live on BBC TV, radio, online and social media. |
Andy Murray will take on former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the opening match of defending champions Great Britain's Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina in Glasgow on Friday.
Murray, the world number two, will play Del Potro at 13:00 BST, followed by Kyle Edmund against Guido Pella.
Del Potro, ranked 64th in the world as he makes his way back from injury, lost to Murray in August's Olympic final.
Andy and Jamie Murray will play together in Saturday's doubles match.
Andy Murray will miss his paternal grandfather's funeral on Friday to play on the opening day, with his brother Jamie expected to attend the funeral.
| Great Britain v Argentina (best-of-five tie) |
|---|
| Friday: Andy Murray v Juan Martin del Potro |
| Friday: Kyle Edmund v Guido Pella |
| Saturday: Andy Murray & Jamie Murray v Federico Delbonis & Leonardo Mayer |
| Sunday: Andy Murray v Guido Pella |
| Sunday: Kyle Edmund v Juan Martin del Potro |
The brothers are set to take on Federico Delbonis and Leonardo Mayer on Saturday, although team captains can change their nominations up to one hour before the start of play.
GB captain Leon Smith left doubles specialist Dom Inglot out of his final four to give himself another singles option for Sunday's final matches in Dan Evans.
"It's a difficult choice because both Dan and Kyle are playing great tennis," Smith said of selecting Edmund over Evans for the second singles match.
"They're pretty much neck and neck in the rankings, they both have really good Davis Cup experience now."
Britain are attempting to retain the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936, having won the tournament for the first time in 79 years in 2015.
Croatia host France in Zadar in the other semi-final.
Murray and Del Potro are the headline names in the Glasgow tie but meet on day one because the Argentine is the second-ranked singles player in their team following three wrist surgeries.
Del Potro, 27, who won the 2009 US Open, beat Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Games in Rio before losing a four-hour final to Murray, and then reached the last eight in this year's US Open.
"I will be fresh tomorrow and I know how my level is at this moment," said Del Potro. "I will try to play aggressive all the time. We'll see if I can give the first point to my team."
Edmund, 21, was selected ahead of Evans as Britain's second singles player after rising to 55th in the world and reaching the fourth round at the US Open.
He has played Pella, the world number 49, once before, with the 26-year-old Argentine winning in three sets at Indian Wells this year.
Analysis
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent: "Andy Murray stressed a couple of times in his BBC interview just how much his body needs a rest, and yet he is set to play three matches. Dom Inglot's omission is understandable given Murray's desire to play doubles with his brother, although Dan Evans could step in for the Wimbledon champion if required.
"Captain Leon Smith thinks Kyle Edmund's game style will be a good match for the left-handed Guido Pella, and for the same reason there is a decent chance Dan Evans could feature on Sunday should Juan Martin del Potro need to be beaten in a fifth and final rubber."
