Strong supporting cast for Glasgow tie

DAVIS CUP Murray and Del Potro aside, semi-final combatants are both blessed with deep rosters, writes Stewart Fisher

SUPERSTAR showdowns are surprisingly rare when it comes to the sharp end of Davis Cup action. In the end, the widely anticipated exception to that rule, between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, scheduled for Serbia this summer didn’t come to pass, as the world’s top two players decided to miss the quarter-final tie.

The scoring system dreamed up by Dwight Davis ensures that this competition is never just an individual contest, but as it turned out, the box-office match-up in the so-called World Cup of team tennis was in all likelihood merely delayed by a round. If the evidence of a classic Olympic men’s singles final played over four hours in Rio de Janeiro is anything to go by, the Emirates Arena in can brace itself for the mother of personal duels between Murray and Juan Martin del Potro during next weekend’s semi-final when Great Britain host Argentina.

As weary as their bodies were when they finally admitted defeat, within a couple of hours of each other, in their efforts to claim a second US Open title, it is a fair bet that these two supreme competitors were already relishing the prospect of re-joining battle in the east end of Glasgow.

The notion that Britain’s first Davis Cup win in 79 years last November would be a one-off has been dispelled by the continued emergence of Leon Smith’s supporting cast.

Dan Evans, who had match point at the US Open against today’s eventual finalist Stan Wawrinka, has risen to world No 64, his form handing Smith something of a headache, considering Kyle Edmund (No 84) took care of Richard Gasquet and John Isner at Flushing Meadows before going down to Djokovic. And then there is Jamie Murray, who yesterday won another Grand Slam doubles title with partner Bruno Soares at the US Open.

Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic is hardly intimidated by such strength and depth, though. Like Smith, he, too, can call on a committed unit with an excellent team ethic. After Del Potro’s wilderness years suffering from a wrist problem, he is in fact the lowest-ranked singles player on the team. Crafty lefty Federico Delbonis hasn’t been in the greatest form, but he is still ranked in the world’s top 50 and has a win against Andy Murray on his back catalogue from earlier this year.

Guido Pella, ranked at No 51, is blessed with a fine backhand and accompanied Del Potro in a fine, five-set doubles win in the previous round against Italy. The experienced Leonardo Mayer (No 117) is no mean player either. But it is Murray against Del Potro, mano-a-mano, that will be the highlight.

“They are two players with unbelievable fighting qualities, I mean both of them really put on a showcase for our sport in that [Olympic] final,” Smith said. “It was an incredible match, very difficult physically, emotionally and mentally.

“Both players, because it rained one day, had to play day-to-day matches. In slams you get a day’s reprieve, but to have two players go out and play a four-hour tennis match like that of such unbelievable quality was unreal.

“He [Del Potro] will be difficult. He is good on the surface, full of confidence, and has his match fitness back. He obviously had a big win at Wimbledon [against Stan Wawrinka]. He has had other big wins the last two or three months but now he has followed it up in a final. His body is obviously feeling better, better at recovering match to match.

“They have a very good squad, and a very good team spirit. Gone are the days when they could only play on a clay court; they can play on any surface now. Del Potro’s emergence has been strong. Delbonis has had a good year, although his last couple of months have not been so strong.

“Del Potro coming into form gives them a timely boost, but we have Andy in form, Jamie at the top of the men’s in doubles, and the emergence of Dan Evans, who is in good form on a surface he likes, and Kyle Edmund too so we are not in a bad situation either.”