BBC Sport will broadcast Davis Cup tennis for the first time in five years when it covers Great Britain’s eagerly-anticipated away World Group clash against the United States.
The corporation has picked up the rights to screen the tie over the weekend of January 31-February 2, which will be played at Petco Park in San Diego, home of baseball’s San Diego Padres, on an outdoor clay court, the first to be played on the surface in a United States home tie since 1992.
Live coverage of all three days of the tie from California will be shared across BBC Two and BBC Three, with the latter airing the bulk of the action in its prime-time schedule.
Sue Barker will present the BBC’s coverage of all three days alongside commentators Jonathan Overend, John Lloyd and GB Davis Cup doubles player Ross Hutchins.
Both days of singles competition on Friday (Jan 31) and Sunday (Feb 2) will start at 19:00 GMT, with the doubles rubber scheduled to begin at 20:00 GMT on Saturday (Feb 1).
The BBC’s return to covering Great Britain’s Davis Cup exploits comes as the side returns to the World Group, the top table of the competition’s structure, for the first time since 2008.
Great Britain’s defeat to Poland at Liverpool’s Echo Arena was the last to be covered by the corporation in September 2009, a result which relegated John Lloyd’s side to Euro/Africa Zone Group II.
Since then, all of the team’s ties at various levels of the competition have been screened in the UK either by British Eurosport or online via the LTA website.
After a six-year absence, British tennis returns the highest level of the Davis Cup in 2014 thanks to a successful rebuilding of the squad from its lowest point in 2009/10, when the side was on the verge of relegation to Europe/Africa Zone Group III, the lowest tier of the competition.
With the assistance of world number four Andy Murray, mixed in with impressive performances from Dan Evans and the various doubles partnerships including Ross Hutchins and Colin Fleming, Great Britain has restored its place in the World Group for the first time since 2008.
Playing his first Davis Cup tie for two years, Murray was instrumental in Britain’s success in the side’s last match, a promotion tie away in Croatia on clay, winning both his singles matches and combining with Colin Fleming to win the doubles rubber.
Two-time Grand Slam winner and 2013 Wimbledon champion Murray is expected to spearhead Leon Smith’s team once again in San Diego as Britain and the USA meet in the competition for the first time since 1999.
This will be a rematch of the first-ever Davis Cup tie, which took place at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston back in 1900, but Great Britain have not won a fixture between the two countries since 1935.
Not only do the Americans lead the all-time head-to-head 11-7, but they have also won the last four meetings between the two nations, including the thrilling 1999 clash at Birmingham’s NIA where Jim Courier’s five-set win win over Greg Rusedski secured a dramatic win for the away side.
Times have changed since Great Britain’s last win over the USA however, and Murray, who won all three points for Team GB in its World Group play-off against Croatia last September, will be favourite to win both his singles rubbers.
Courier is now captain of the United States squad and will expect to have the Bryan brothers and top singles players John Isner and Sam Querrey at his disposal.
Alongside the BBC’s live coverage, British Eurosport will also broadcast tie with former British number one Annabel Croft presenting the pan-European channel’s live coverage.
Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski and ex-GB Davis Cup player Jamie Baker will join Croft as studio guests throughout the weekend, while commentary duties will be shared between Simon Reed, Andrew Castle, Chris Bradnam and Jeremy Bates.
In addition to GB v United States, British Eurosport will also broadcast live coverage of the first round tie between France and Australia.
Looking ahead to the tie, British Eurosport pundit Rusedski said: “It’s a very exciting tie because the last time we played them was in Birmingham in 1999 when we lost in the deciding rubber which I lost to Jim Courier in a five-set epic so it would be nice to win away in America in San Diego.
“I think it’s very important tie for Great Britain. If you beat America it gets more people behind the national team.
“I think it will also get more people involved in the game because tennis is almost always an individual sport and the only time it becomes a team sport is during the Davis Cup.
“If all of a sudden GB was to beat America and get into the quarter-finals – which hasn’t happened in a long time – that would get into the public’s conscience and people who don’t necessarily watch tennis would get more involved in it.”
For more information about the Davis Cup, including the latest news, match information and statistics, visit the official website.
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