Davis Cup Tennis 2016: World Group Schedule, Bracket and Preview for Round 1
The 2016 Davis Cup swings back into action in March with 16 nations battling it out for the top prize in international team tennis.
Each country is set to play its Round 1 match across March 4-6, with Novak Djokovic's Serbia serving as the likely the favourites to get their hands on this year's trophy following Andy Murray and Great Britain's success in 2015.
Here is a look at the full schedule for next month's ties. All times are GMT:
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| Great Britain vs. Japan | March 4-6 | 1 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. |
| Serbia vs. Kazakhstan | March 4-6 | 1 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 12 p.m. |
| Italy vs. Switzerland | March 4-6 | 1 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 1 p.m. |
| Poland vs. Argentina | March 4-6 | 1:30 p.m. | 12 p.m. | 11 a.m. |
| France vs. Canada | March 4-6 | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 3 p.m. |
| Germany vs. Czech Republic | March 4-6 | 12 p.m. | 12 p.m. | 12 p.m. |
| Australia vs. USA | March 4-6 | 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. | 7 p.m. |
| Belgium vs. Croatia | March 4-6 | 1 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. |
You can view the full bracket by clicking here.
World Group Preview
Murray and Great Britain will begin the defence of their Davis Cup title against Japan at Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Last year's victory saw Britain claim their 10th Davis Cup title and their first in the competition in 79 years—the longest interval of any previous winner.
In March, they will produce more history in the tournament when they meet Japan for the first time since 1931, per DavisCup.com. Murray, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, has not played competitively since his 2016 Australian Open final appearance in order to spend time with his newly born child.
However, despite the lack of on-court action, the Scot has been named in the four-man lineup. The 28-year-old will be joined by brother Jamie, Kyle Edmund and doubles specialist Dominic Inglot. Per the Guardian, Great Britain captain Leon Smith has no reservations about selecting Murray: "Andy Murray has once again demonstrated his commitment to the team and his country in making himself available to play, especially so soon after becoming a father. His outstanding performance at the Australian Open is further evidence that he is one of the world’s best players."
The Davis Cup's uniqueness brings together the world's top players in a rare team format. However, due to an already packed schedule—and the summer Olympics in Brazil—there are some notable absentees on the list of players, particularly among the Swiss ranks. Seventeen-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer will not take part in the opening-round action when his country come up against Italy, while Stan Wawrinka, who helped his compatriot lift the tournament trophy in 2014, will also be absent.
Spain's failure to qualify for the world group stage means Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer are also missing from the list of contenders, but world No. 8 Kei Nishikori will be leading Japan's troops in the competition's headline opener.
Additionally, the world's best player will be in attendance at the tournament with Djokovic set to lead 2010 champions Serbia's charge when they come up against Kazakhstan. The 11-time Grand Slam winner became just the 12th player ever in the Open era to win 700 career matches as he took down Malek Jaziri in the Dubai Duty Free Championships on Wednesday, per ATP World Tour.
The official Davis Cup account congratulated Djokovic on his impressive achievement:
Another significant clash in the opening round sees Australia take on the United States in Melbourne with Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios representing the hosts. For the U.S., big-hitting John Isner and world No. 15 Jack Sock will play alongside the legendary doubles partners—and brothers—Bob and Mike Bryan in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter at Rod Laver Arena in front of a packed house.
Despite several of the usual suspects not participating in this year's competition, the tournament has lost none of its glamour or intrigue. Murray and Great Britain will be hoping to begin the defence of their title in the perfect manner in the fourth home tie from their last five but have not been handed the simplest of challenges to start.
Djokovic and Co. are the favourites for this year's event with good reason, with their star player having claimed a 100-6 record since November 2014. The unstoppable Serb is in the form of his life, and it remains difficult to see how he will be denied once again when the 2016 tournament gets underway in just over a week's time.
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