Great Britain begin their quest for an 11th Davis Cup title but only a second since 1936 in Spain this weekend.
A home draw is a change of fortune for the Spanish as their last eight ties have all been away from home. Britain haven’t played Spain in the Davis Cup since 1986 in the days of John Lloyd and Jeremy Bates but did win on that occasion and Leon Smith’s team will at least hope to equal their achievement of reaching the quarter-finals last year, when they lost to eventual winners France.
Unfortunately, Smith won’t be able to call on Andy Murray for at least a few months but the Scot’s brother Jamie Murray will play in the doubles and Australian Open semi-finalist Kyle Edmund will be a key player in two of the singles ties in the World Group match in Marbella’s Puente Romano Sports Complex. Dominic Inglot, Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady make up the team that will have to contend with a passionate home crowd on the Costa Del Sol as well as an unfavourable clay surface with the winners facing either Germany or Australia in the quarter-finals. The losers will have to play-off to retain their place in the World Group next year.
Great Britain are the seeded nation in the First Round tie but a general 16/1 to win the tournament. Spain currently have six players in the world’s top 40 and are only 7/2, though the injured Rafael Nadal will be missing.
2018 Davis Cup First Round Draw
Boylesports’ 2018 Davis Cup Betting
France 5/2, Spain 7/2, Croatia 4/1, Australia 6/1, United States 8/1, Great Britain and Belgium 16/1, Germany 20/1, Kazakhstan and Serbia 22/1, Italy and Canada 25/1, Switzerland 28/1, Japan 40/1, Hungary 50/1, Netherlands 60/1