Davis Cup 2015: Friday Scores and Results, Updated Quarterfinals Schedule

The 2015 Davis Cup World Group quarterfinals started Friday and are scheduled to carry through the weekend. Four of the eight seeded countries, including No. 2 Switzerland and No. 3 Czech Republic, were eliminated in the first round to open the door for some sleepers.  

Top-seeded France is still alive but figures to receive a serious test from Great Britain, which earned a split in singles action on Day 1. Serbia, Argentina and Canada are the other seeded sides still in the tournament draw.

Let's check out the results from Friday's matches along with the latest scores for the round. It's followed by a recap of the action.

Friday Results

Match	Player	Player	Result
1	Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)	Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)	KAZ: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
2	Nick Kyrgios (AUS)	Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ)	KAZ: 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4
1	Gilles Simon (FRA)	James Ward (GBR)	FRA: 6-4, 6-4, 6-1
2	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)	Andy Murray (GBR)	GBR: 7-5, 7-6, 6-2
1	Frank Dancevic (CAN)	Steve Darcis (BEL)	BEL: 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3
2	Filip Peliwo (CAN)	David Goffin (BEL)	BEL: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1	Filip Krajinovic (SRB)	Leonardo Mayer (ARG)	ARG: 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
2	Viktor Troicki (SRB)	Federico Delbonis (ARG)	ARG: 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Quarterfinal Scores

Location	Home	Road	Score
Queen's Club	Great Britain	France	1-1
Marrara Sports Complex	Australia	Kazakhstan	2-0 KAZ
Tecnopolis	Argentina	Serbia	2-0 ARG
Sportpark Krokodiel	Belgium	Canada	2-0 BEL

Day 1 Recap

Kazakhstan, which upset Italy in the opening round, is now just one match victory away from a shocking appearance in the semifinals after an outstanding start against Australia.

Mikhail Kukushkin opened the tie with a straight-sets triumph over Thanasi Kokkinakis, which put a boatload of pressure on Nick Kyrgios to earn a split. It showed as the 20-year-old rising star struggled to find a rhythm against Aleksandr Nedovyesov, the 115th-ranked player in the world.

Each of the first three sets went to tiebreaks, only adding to the tension. When the Kazakhstani underdog grabbed a 2-1 lead, Kyrgios yelled, "I don't want to be here," per Andrew Hendrie of Live Tennis, who noted the Aussie later tried to explain he meant being behind on the scoreboard.

Nedovyesov proceeded to close it out in the fourth set to put Australia in a massive hole. It has the talent to mount a comeback over the next two days, but the level of play must rise considerably after too many physical and mental errors Friday.

France predictably jumped out in front of Great Britain as Gilles Simon cruised past James Ward. That left Andy Murray to fight for a level score in a high-profile clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Murray showed nerves of steel to pick up the clutch point. He earned a late break in the first set and then surged back from a 3-0 deficit in the second-set tiebreak to win it 12-10 after both players had squandered chances to close it out. The third set was a little more routine as Tsonga faded.

Matt Cronin of Tennis Reporters notes Britain's top player must now make a tough call:

Belgium took advantage of a weakened Canadian team to grab its early lead. With Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil forced to miss the tie, a side with already limited available depth is being stretched beyond its limits.

Steve Darcis and David Goffin took full advantage, knocking off Frank Dancevic and Filip Peliwo while dropping just one combined set. Canada does have Daniel Nestor, an accomplished doubles player, but winning the remaining singles matches will be a massive challenge.

While Kazakhstan's run is getting attention, Tom Allen points out Belgium is on the verge of something special, too:

Leonardo Mayer gave Argentina the early edge over Serbia in its tie. The best news for the South American team, however, is the absence of Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon on Sunday. It obviously makes the draw a lot more manageable.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from Federico Delbonis. The Argentine quickly fell behind Viktor Troicki by two sets and was struggling to make it competitive. Then, as if he flipped a switch, his play improved markedly and he stormed back to stun his Serbian counterpart.

It allowed Argentina to join Kazakhstan and Belgium with 2-0 leads after Day 1.

Looking ahead, the teams will have some difficult decisions to make before Saturday's doubles. Those up 2-0 are more likely to rest their top players for Sunday singles, but those level or behind have to at least consider sending their top guys back out, even though it means playing all three days.

The most intriguing matchup should come from France and Great Britain. The Murray brothers, Andy and Jamie, would need to team up to give the Brits a better chance, whereas the French side may just stick with Richard Gasquet and Nicolas Mahut, which is the advantage of depth.

As always, the outlook will be clearer by the time the dust settles after doubles.