Davis Cup Tennis 2016: Round 1 Dates, Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions
A star-studded round of Davis Cup action gets underway this weekend, with Andy Murray set to kickstart Great Britain’s bid for a second successive title.
The Scot was imperious in last year’s tournament all the way through to the final, when he helped his team to glory. However, with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic spearheading Serbia’s charge, not to mention impressive teams assembled by France, the United States and Australia, the 2016 edition is set to be extremely competitive.
Indeed, according to the ATP website, six of the top 10 players in the world are set to take part in the World Group first-round tussles this weekend. Here are the key dates for those fixtures, a look at a couple of the standout matches and details of where you can catch the action via a live stream.
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| (1) Great Britain | Japan | 4-1 |
| (7) Serbia | Kazakhstan | 3-2 |
| Italy | (4) Switzerland | 2-3 |
| Poland | (6) Argentina | 2-3 |
| (5) France | Canada | 5-0 |
| Germany | (3) Czech Republic | 2-3 |
| (8) Australia | United States | 2-3 |
| (2) Belgium | Croatia | 3-2 |
Matches will be played between March 4 and March 6.
Great Britain vs. Japan can be watched via the BBC website (UK), while United States vs. Australia can be streamed on the Tennis Channel website (US).
For further broadcast details visit the tournament’s website.
Australia vs. United States
Davis Cup powerhouses Australia and the United States will meet at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, Australia, for the first time in 17 years.
All eyes will certainly be on the hosts, who can call upon Lleyton Hewitt as captain.
However, with the in-form Nick Kyrgios injured, team coach Jason Stoltenberg has hinted Hewitt could come out of retirement for this tie, per the Associated Press. Here’s what the skipper has had to say himself in the run-up to the event, per Team Australia:
They’ll face an impressive American team that will be skippered by former world No. 1 Jim Courier; he’s set to call upon John Isner, Jack Sock and for the doubles matches, the impressive duo of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.
As Sock posted on his Twitter feed during preparations, it seems as though there is some fine camaraderie in the camp:
At this point, the American team is surely the favourite to progress, too. While Australia have class players of their own to call upon in Sam Groth and Bernard Tomic, not to mention home advantage, the uncertainty surrounding Kyrgios cannot be good for preparations.
Expect the Bryan brothers to be dominant in the doubles, plus the big-serving Isner and improving Sock to haul the visitors to a narrow win.
Predicted Winner: United States
Great Britain vs. Japan
Reigning champions Great Britain begin their defence of the title they famously won last season at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham against Japan. It’ll be the first time these two have met in a Davis Cup match since 1931.
The main man for Great Britain in 2015 was Murray, who was sensational throughout the competition, and he'll be seeking to scale similar heights once again. He won all 11 of the matches he was involved in last year.
His winning shot in the crucial match against David Goffin is a moment that will be forever linked with this famous competition:
Joining him against Japan will be brother Jamie, as well as Kyle Edmund and Dominic Inglot. They shouldn’t expect an easy ride from the visitors, though.
After all, they possess a talisman of their own in Kei Nishikori. As noted by the ATP website, he too has won 11 Davis Cup matches in a row, and while the world No. 6 has only beaten Murray once in seven clashes, he’s a player who could potentially tame the talented Scot in Birmingham.
However, speaking ahead of the match, the Japanese star did joke the weather in England isn’t conducive to a positive mood, per Stuart Fraser of the MailOnline:
Even if Nishikori was to halt Murray’s run, the strength in depth in the Japan squad doesn’t measure up to Great Britain. Taro Daniel, Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama will all have to play to their absolute maximum if they’re to stand any chances here, not to mention Nishikori downing the rampant Murray.
Over the course of what could potentially be five rubbers, that’s unlikely to transpire, and those in attendance should see their heroes get their defence off to a winning start.
Predicted Winner: Great Britain
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