Davis Cup: Andy Murray Opens with Victory for Great Britain in Liverpool

Andy Murray overcame a disappointing US Open to win Great Britain’s opening rubber against Poland in the Davis Cup at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

The world No. 3 seemed untroubled by a wrist injury sustained at Flushing Meadows, as he faced an opponent ranked 675 places below him, but was stretched by a mix of aggression and subtlety from Michal Przysiezny.

Making his first appearance since his defeat to Marin Cilic in the last 16 of the US Open in Great Britain's Europe/Africa Zone Davis Cup tie against Poland, he defeated Michal Przysiezny 6-4 6-2 6-4 in just over two hours.

Przysiezny, whose best win this year was against a player ranked 154 in the world, was never expected to trouble Murray too much, but had three break points on the Scot’s serve in the final game of the set, before Murray came back to close it out.

Breaks in the third and fifth games of the second set for Murray gave him a 2-0 lead, and Przysiezny only troubled him in the eighth game of the third set, taking Murray to break point, but Murray had enough to cruise to victory.

It was a good, much-needed win for Great Britain, with Britain’s second singles player and British No. 5, Dan Evans, making his Davis Cup debut later in the day.

Evans struggled against the big-serving Jerzy Janowicz, whose serve consistently topped 140mph in a manner even more impressive than Andy Roddick’s serve, and won him a number of cheap points as his height and power proved too much for the young Brit.

Despite swapping breaks of serve with Janowicz in the second set, Evans rarely looked like he was building on them, and quickly found himself two sets down.

Evans finally looked settled in the third set, but as the match went into a tie-breaker, it was the more experienced Janowicz who held his nerve to take victory, and level the tie with a 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win.

Great Britain captain John Lloyd will now be forced to risk Murray in Saturday’s doubles game alongside Ross Hutchins, as Poland fields Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, a top 10-ranked doubles partnership on the ATP Tour.

The Poles will start favourite for that match, even against Murray, and it is a one that Murray and Hutchins must win if Britain are to have any chance of winning the tie.

It is imperative Great Britain win the Europe/Africa Zone playoff to retain their Group I status, with the losers relegated to the international wilderness of Group II, an embarrassment they will not want to endure.

If Murray and Hutchins lose Saturday’s doubles rubber, they can kiss goodbye any chances of returning to the World Group of the Davis Cup for at least a couple of years, with both Murray and Evans needing to win on Sunday.

While Murray might be one of the best players in the world at the moment, even he will be troubled by Janowicz’s booming serve, while the pressure on Evans will be immense in his match with Przysiezny if Britain needs him to win in order to win the tie.

No pressure on Andy Murray to show off his world-class credentials and superman fitness, then.