Murray to lead Britain in quarter-finals

AFP/LondonWimbledon champion Andy Murray will lead a four-man team when Great Britain compete in their first Davis Cup quarter-final for 28 years, away to Italy in Naples next week. Joining Murray in the British quartet will be Dan Evans, Colin Fleming and James Ward while Ross Hutchins, who recently recovered from cancer, is the reserve. The winner of the tie will play either Kazakhstan or Switzerland in the Davis Cup semi-finals in September. Murray, Ward and Fleming all featured in the 3-1 defeat of the United States in February. “It will be a good challenge playing on the clay in Italy,” Murray, who recently split with coach Ivan Lendl, told the Lawn Tennis Association website yesterday. “They have some very good clay-court players with a passionate crowd behind them. It will be a tough weekend and the games will be tight, but it’s great playing in big matches like this in the World Group,” the Scot added. British Davis Cup captain Leon Smith, explaining the composition of the team, said: “We have selected our top three singles players for the squad who between them have the most Davis Cup experience which is what we need for this tie. “Obviously we are delighted that Andy is playing, and both Dan and James have enjoyed impressive Davis Cup wins over the last few years.  We also have strong options in doubles. “Andy and Colin have enjoyed success together before, having reached the final in Montreal last August and also winning their last Davis Cup doubles rubber against Croatia in September.  Ross Hutchins could be brought into the final four depending on what options we feel are best for the tie. Both Colin and Ross also have a lot of Davis Cup experience between them.” Rosol, Stepanek lead Czechs against Japan Lukas Rosol and Radek Stepanek will spearhead holders the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup quarter-finals in Japan on April 4-6 as number-one Tomas Berdych is unavailable, the Czech team said. Rosol, the world number 38, and 49th-ranked Stepanek will team up with 73rd-ranked Jiri Vesely and 115th-ranked Jan Hajek for the tie on the hardcourt of the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. After leading the Czechs to two consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013 together with Stepanek, world number seven Berdych said he would skip the quarter-finals following the Czechs’ first-round victory over the Netherlands in February. Apart from Berdych and the nominated quartet, “we practically have no other players,” team captain Jaroslav Navratil said on the Czech Davis Cup team’s Facebook page. “The guys’ form has improved since the beginning of the year,” added Navratil, suggesting Rosol would be the Czech number one against Japan, who will depend on 21st-ranked Kei Nishikori. “The important thing will be to be at 1-1 after day one, but Saturday’s doubles will be the key to victory,” Navratil said. Stepanek, the world number eight in doubles, has lost only one of 16 Davis Cup doubles rubbers when playing with Berdych. In Japan, he is likely to team up with Rosol, who is ranked 59th in doubles.