Davis Cup 2015 Semi Finals Notes | ATP World Tour | Tennis Match Preview Great Britain takes on Australia, while Belgium faces off against Argentina Great Britain has not won the Davis Cup since 1936, but can count on Andy Murray and a supportive home crowd in Glasgow in the semi-finals against 28-time champion Australia. Belgium and Argentina have never gone all the way in Davis Cup competition, combining for a 0-5 final record. Whichever team can get to three wins first this weekend will have a chance to rectify the situation. BELGIUM AND GREAT BRITAIN LOOK TO END BARREN RUN… Belgium and Great Britain are both bidding to end a lengthy wait for a place in the Davis Cup Final. Belgium is looking for its first Final since 1904 when, in its debut year in the competition, it lost to British Isles 5-0, while Great Britain is seeking a place in the Davis Cup Final for the first time since 1978, when it lost 4-1 to USA. By contrast, Argentina last reached the Final in 2011 and Australia won its last appearance in the title decider in 2003.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING? Australia is in the most familiar territory of the four semi-finalists, having won the Davis Cup on 28 occasions, most recently in Melbourne 12 years ago. Though Great Britain has won the title on nine occasions, it has been 79 years since its last triumph in 1936. Argentina and Belgium have never won the Davis Cup. GREAT BRITAIN DOMINATING FELLOW GRAND SLAM NATIONS? Great Britain is bidding to become the first nation to defeat the three other Grand Slam nations in consecutive ties since it defeated Australia, USA and France en route to winning the Davis Cup title in 1933. By defeating USA in the first round and France in the quarterfinals to set up a semi-final with Australia, Great Britain has become the first Grand Slam nation to face the three other Grand Slam nations in consecutive ties since France faced USA, Australia and Great Britain in back-to-back ties in 1989-1990. UNSEEDED NATIONS… Australia, Belgium and Great Britain have ensured that three unseeded nations feature in the World Group semi-finals for the first time in World Group history.

Croatia (2005) and Serbia (2010) are the only unseeded nations to win the Davis Cup. Two unseeded nations have contested the Final on two occasions – in 2005 (Croatia d. Slovak Republic) and 2010 (Serbia d. France). GREAT BRITAIN v. AUSTRALIA GREAT BRITAIN is bidding to reach the Davis Cup Final for the first time since 1978, when it finished runner-up after losing 4-1 to USA. Great Britain is looking to reach its 20th Davis Cup Final overall. The nation has been crowned Davis Cup champion nine times, with its last title coming in 1936 when it defeated this weekend’s opponents 3-2 in the Challenge Round Final. Great Britain has advanced to the World Group semi-finals for the first time since 1981 after defeating USA 3-2 in the first round in Glasgow and France 3-1 in the quarterfinals at Queen’s Club. Great Britain lost to Argentina 5-0 the last time it reached this stage of the competition 34 years ago.

AUSTRALIA is bidding to reach its 49th Davis Cup Final but first since 2003, when it defeated Spain 3-1 in Melbourne. Australia has advanced to the semi-finals for the first time since 2006. It defeated three-time Davis Cup champion Czech Republic 3-2 in the World Group first round in Ostrava and recovered from 0-2 down to defeat Kazakhstan 3-2 in the quarterfinals in Darwin. Australia’s win over Kazakhstan was just the 9th comeback from 0-2 in World Group history and the first time a nation had come back from 0-2 down on grass at any level of Davis Cup since Italy defeated Australia 3-2 on the surface in 1960. Australia has been crowned Davis Cup champion 28 times, second only to USA (32) on the all-time list of Davis Cup champions. Lleyton Hewitt is the nation’s most successful player, with a total win-loss record of 58-19 and a singles win-loss record of 42-14.

Hewitt has also played the most ties for Australia, with 40 (prior to this one) over 17 years. BELGIUM v. ARGENTINA BELGIUM is bidding to reach the Davis Cup Final for the first time since making its debut in the competition in 1904, when it finished runner-up to Great Britain. Belgium is through to the World Group semi-finals for the first time since 1999 and just the second time since the inception of the World Group in 1981. In 1999, Belgium defeated Czech Republic and Switzerland before losing to France in the last four. Belgium is bidding to win four consecutive Davis Cup ties for the first time since 1989-1990, when it won five straight ties to rise from Europe Group II into the World Group. ARGENTINA is bidding to reach its fifth Davis Cup Final, having finished runner-up in 1981 (l. USA), 2006 (l. Russia), 2008 (l. Spain) and 2011 (l. Spain).

Argentina is one of three nations, along with India and Romania, to have reached more than one Davis Cup Final without being crowned champion, but the only one to have lost four Finals without winning the title. Argentina is through to its 10th World Group semi-final since 2002. The nation is playing in the World Group for the 14th consecutive year. WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS India (c) v Czech Republic (s) R.K.

Khanna Tennis Stadium, New Delhi, IND (hard – outdoors) Switzerland (s) (c) v Netherlands Palexpo, Geneva, SUI (hard – indoors) Russia (c) v Italy (s) Sports Palace 'Baikal-Arena', Irkutsk, RUS (hard – indoors) Uzbekistan (c)* v USA (s) Olympic Tennis School, Tashkent, UZB (clay – outdoors) Colombia (c) v Japan (s) Club Campestre, Pereira, COL (clay – outdoors) Dominican Republic (c)* v Germany (s) Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque del Este, Santo Domingo, DOM (hard – outdoors) Brazil (c) v Croatia (s) Costao do Santinho Resort, Florianopolis, BRA (clay – outdoors) Poland (c) v Slovakia (s) Gdynia Arena, Gdynia, POL (hard – indoors) (s) = seed (c) = choice of ground * = choice of ground was decided by lot Czech Republic will look to prolong its nine-year stay in the World Group when it takes on India in New Delhi.

The Czechs are in unusual territory having reached at least the World Group semi-finals for the last three years, with this just the second World Group play-off Czech Republic has contested since 2007. India is featuring in the World Group play-offs for the second year running, having lost to Serbia at this stage last year. Victory over the three-time Davis Cup champion would send India back into the World Group for the first time since 2011. 2014 champion Switzerland takes on Netherlands in a bid to avoid dropping into Zone Group competition for the first time since 2011. Netherlands, meanwhile, will look to bounce back into the World Group after seeing Croatia end its first year in the competition’s top tier since 2009 in last year’s play-offs. This is the fourth meeting between Switzerland and Netherlands in 12 years, with Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka both set to face a Dutch team for a third time. Russia and Italy go head-to-head for the first time since 1996, with Italy bidding to extend its 4-1 record over the host nation.

The visitors, semi-finalists last year, will hope to maintain their four-year stay in the top tier of the competition, while Russia is looking to break free from Zone Group competition and return to the World Group for the first time since 2012. Uzbekistan will hope to end a run of seven defeats in the World Group play-offs against USA in Tashkent. While the Uzbeks are through to the World Group play-offs for the fourth time in the last seven years - and eighth time overall – this is the first time the nation has had the advantage of playing a World Group play-off on home soil since 2000. USA will hope to stop the hosts recording a landmark victory and a maiden World Group berth, which would see Jim Courier’s men plunge into Zone Group competition for the first time since 1988. After three failures in the World Group play-offs, Colombia will look to strike it fourth time lucky when it takes on Japan in Pereira.

Japan came from 2-1 down to triumph in Tokyo when the two nations met for the first time at this stage of the competition in 2013, but Colombia will hope the benefit of playing at home can help it reach the World Group for the first time in history. Dominican Republic hosts Germany in its first appearance in the World Group play-offs. A surprise victory would see the Dominicans become just the second Caribbean nation after Cuba (1993) to reach the competition’s top tier since the inception of the World Group in 1981. The host nation has already achieved a landmark just by reaching the play-offs, becoming only the third Caribbean nation to feature at this stage of the competition after Bahamas and Cuba. By contrast, Germany has spent just three years out of the World Group since 1981, and is bidding to extend its 10-year stay in the top tier. Brazil and Croatia face off in a bid to maintain their World Group status for 2015.

Brazil has lost seven of the nine World Group play-offs it has contested over the last nine years, but the nation will be buoyed by the fact that both of its play-off wins in that time – in 2012 and 2014 – came on home soil. Visitors Croatia will look to avoid dropping into Europe/Africa Zone Group I for only the third time since 2001, having played at that level in 2008 and 2014. Slovakia will hope to end a nine-year absence from the World Group when it travels to Poland. The Slovaks have lost all four of the World Group play-offs they have contested since losing to Chile in the World Group first round in 2006. Poland, meanwhile, has arguably its best chance to reach the top tier of the competition for the first time, having lost to Australia in its only previous appearance in the play-offs in 2013.

Information courtesy ITF Davis Cup Tennis 2015: Semi-Finals Dates, Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions | Bleacher Report Davis Cup Tennis 2015: Semi-Finals Dates, Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions By Joe Pantorno , Featured Columnist Sep 17, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Tim Ireland/Associated Press 1 Comment One of tennis' biggest team tournaments, the Davis Cup , will begin its semifinal stage on Friday, Sept. 18. The three-day semifinal pits some of the world's best players against each other for international bragging rights. Let's take a look at the teams involved in the last four, where tennis fans can catch the matches and who I think will be moving on into the finals. 2015 Davis Cups: Semifinal Matchups Matchup Great Britain vs. Australia Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland It's been a meteoric rise for the Great Britain team in this competition over the past five years. According to DavisCup.com , they were almost relegated to the lowest level of the competition in 2010, but are now one win away from the Davis Cup final.

This will be Great Britain's first semifinal appearance since 1981, while Australia are breaking a nine-year hiatus from the penultimate round. Australia 26 DavisCup.com Kyle Edmund, who is the second British singles player behind Andy Murray, has recovered from an ankle problem to take his place in the team, per Piers Newbery of BBC Sport. Britain's best chance of winning the tie will, of course, be reliant on Murray. The world's third-best tennis player will have to be on the court as much as possible, which means fans will probably see him play in doubles matches as well. Coach Leon Smith knows his team's success depends on Murray's performance, as he told ESPN.com : We're in a good position and are very fortunate to have one of the best players in the world in Andy Murray, who is definitely the strongest in the two teams. A lot lies on his shoulders... Murray also might be driven by his early exit at the recent U.S. Open. A fiery player whose competitive streak makes him seem almost unapproachable, Murray could take his loss in Flushing Meadows and turn it into more motivation.

Joining Murray is his brother, Jamie, who is ranked eighth in doubles play and is having quite a season. With two doubles titles at Hamburg and Brisbane alongside John Peers, the Scot was also a runner-up at the French and U.S. Open this season. Australia will look for Bernard Tomic to try and neutralize Andy Murray, but I just don't see the 23rd-ranked player taking down the Scot. Tomic has yet to beat Murray in two career matches, according to MatchStat.com . In fact, he hasn't won a single set and as the only road-block that could slow him down, Great Britain should roll to the finals. Prediction: Great Britain Advances 4-1 Belgium vs. Argentina Venue: Forest National, Brussels, Belgium This is a wonderfully even matchup for a pair of nations that have seen different levels of success in the Davis Cup. Belgium has not been in a semifinal since 1999, while Argentina are in this stage of the competition for the 10th time in the last 14 years. Argentina vs. Belgium 591 DavisCup.com All signs seem to point toward Belgium making their way through.

In their journey to the semifinal, they have defeated defending champion Switzerland and two-time semifinalists Canada, though both sides were without some of their best players. But defeating established countries who have seen success in the competition will help establish experience in big moments. They'll need it against an Argentina side who are no strangers to the semifinals. Yet, they have never won a Davis Cup. In fact, they've only made the final three times out of nine previous trips to the semis. With headliners on each side like Leonardo Mayer and David Goffin, Argentina and Belgium have a nice supporting cast who are ranked in both the singles and doubles game. According to Goffin, the venue might provide the deciding factor as he told DavisCup.com : It will be a tough tie against Argentina, but it’s better for us to play at home. I think there will be great support for us and I think against Argentina we have a small chance to go to a final. Playing on the road has proved problematic for Argentina. Of the past three semifinals they've lost in the past five years, two have come on the road which is why I will be taking Belgium to win narrowly.

Prediction: Belgium Advances 3-2 Davis Cup 2015: Murray brothers can lead British boost - BBC Sport BBC Sport Davis Cup 2015: Murray brothers can lead British boost By Russell Fuller A capacity crowd of 7,700 is expected in Glasgow Davis Cup: Great Britain v United States Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow Dates: 6-8 March Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Red Button, the BBC Sport website, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV. When Belgium, Slovakia, Hungary and Luxembourg played Davis Cup ties in Glasgow in recent years, there was little fuss and little fanfare. The stakes were relatively low, and the venue chosen accordingly. But now, with Great Britain back in the World Group and facing the United States in its first top-flight home tie since 2002, one of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games venues has been hired. There are two Murrays in the team for the first time in four years, and GB has at least an even chance of repeating last year's memorable victory over the US in San Diego. Why does this tie matter? It is 13 long years since Britain last had a home World Group tie to promote.

The Swedish team of Thomas Enqvist and Thomas Johansson snuffed out GB's aspirations that year as they won both final day singles against Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. It is overly simplistic to say that high-profile home Davis Cup ties will boost the sport's flagging participation levels, but British success and greater exposure to what can be a thrilling format has to be in the long-term interests of the sport. Media playback is not supported on this device Murray seals historic Davis Cup win There is also the prospect of a home quarter-final in July against France or Germany, should Britain come out on top at the Emirates Arena over the next three days. The tie would be played in the week after Wimbledon, although I understand the All England Club has already been ruled out as hosts as there would be insufficient time to prepare the courts. This first-round tie has special significance for Scotland. Captain Leon Smith has made no secret of his desire to give the country that produced Andy and Jamie Murray, Elena Baltacha, Colin Fleming and Jamie Baker an opportunity to stage tennis of the very highest level.

"Scotland has punched above its weight in terms of what it could deliver British tennis and with so much going on through the British summer down south, there's nothing for Scottish fans to back up what they see on the TV," Smith told me. "While Andy Murray is still active, with his best years still ahead of him, it's very important they get to see live, meaningful, competitive tennis because that can inspire the next group to come through." Where will the tie be won? There is the potential for unpredictable results throughout this first-round tie. Andy Murray will be heavily favoured to beat Donald Young on the opening day, but will expect John Isner to be a very awkward customer on Sunday - even if the 6ft 10in American's serve has been somewhat blunted by the slow court that has been made to order. US captain Jim Courier has called James Ward "a streaky player", saying "he has good patches and bad patches" In a similar vein, James Ward will not be underestimated by the American team. His stunning victory over Sam Querrey in San Diego laid the platform for a run to the cusp of the world's top 100.

Wins have been hard to come by recently as he plays more matches at tour level, but should it boil down to his deciding singles against Young, then Ward would have much in his favour. He may be conceding 64 places in the rankings, but will be able to count on the support of nearly 8,000 boisterous fans and his Davis Cup experience. This is his 10th tie, and only Young's second. Whatever happens in the singles, Britain will be confident of victory if they win Saturday's doubles - even if there is always a big if when the Bryan brothers are on the other side of the net. American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the first doubles pair to win 100 titles together with victory at the US Open in September Bob and Mike have lost only four of their 26 Davis Cup doubles rubbers and also found the time to win 16 Grand Slam titles and finish as the year-end number one a record 10 times. But if you throw Andy Murray into the mix, add his brother Jamie, and then allow the Glasgow crowd to bring the match to the boil, anything is possible.

Brothers reunited Andy Murray claimed on Thursday that he is "unlikely" to take part in the doubles, but it would be wise not to read too much into that. Dom Inglot is in fine form and may still have a part to play if Murray gets drawn into an arduous opening day singles. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine the double Grand Slam champion sitting on the bench in his native country if the tie is still very much in the balance - especially as Jamie is playing so well and is in a British shirt for the first time since 2011. It will be a first chance in four years for the Scottish fans to see Andy Murray in action on home soil "I have played with a lot of different partners, but if I was to choose one person to play with I would pick Jamie," Andy told me. "I have played with him in doubles since we were 10 years old, so even though we might not have played a lot the last few years, in your head somewhere you have those instincts and we do play quite well together. "Jamie normally tries to take the lead because he's the older brother," he continued, with a smile. "On the court, he likes to tell me what to do often.

I don't like that - especially when he's telling me where to serve. It doesn't stop him from telling me, though." The Murray brothers against the Bryan twins is a fine proposition - but may not prove decisive. Sunday's singles are far from one-sided, and this one could well go the distance. BBC coverage Friday, 6 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-16:30 BBC Two; 14:30-21:00 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Saturday, 7 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-16:30 BBC One; 13:00-16:55, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Sunday, 8 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-15:50 BBC One; 13:00-20:00, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Jonathan Overend previews Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against the United States in a BBC Radio 5 live podcast with tennis correspondent Russell Fuller and coach Miles Maclagan. There are interviews too with Andy Murray, the Bryan brothers, Jim Courier and Andre Agassi.

Download the podcast from our website. Davis Cup - Tennis Topics - ESPN Past Winners The Davis Cup is the premier international team competition in men's tennis, contested annually by squads from countries throughout the world in knockout format to determine each year's champion. First played in 1900 (between the United States and the British Isles) and originally called the International Tennis Challenge Trophy, the Davis Cup has grown to include more than 130 nations competing for the annual prize, named for one of the event's founders who commissioned the trophy. Twelve nations have won the Davis Cup over its 110-year history, with the United States capturing the most titles (32), followed by Australia (with 28). The Czech Repulic team defeated Spain in the 2012 Davis Cup final round to win its first title since 1980. While teams from more than 100 countries compete annually in Davis Cup play, only 16 nations qualify for the elite World Group that determines each year's champion. All other countries compete in various groups of zonal play or the World Group playoffs, earning points to improve their standing within the International Tennis Federation's ranking system.

Those rankings help to determine the seedings for the World Group, with the previous year's finalists serving as the top two seeds for the initial round of 16 within the World Group -- the first of four weekends spaced throughout the year that narrow the field down in knockout format through best-of-five match "ties." Winners of that first round of 16 move on to the quarterfinals and ensure their place in the following year's World Group, while the losers fall into the World Group playoffs to face zonal winners for a place in the top tier for the next year. In the World Group, World Group playoffs, and Groups I and II of zonal play, each round or "tie" is contested in a best-of-five match format, and is played over three days (usually Friday to Sunday). On the first day (Friday) there are two singles matches, and then the doubles match takes place on the following day. The reverse singles take place on the final day (Sunday). Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team earning the most points capturing the tie. All individual matches are best of five sets, unless one team has won the first three matches.

Then the teams will often agree to a best-of-three sets scenario (for remaining singles matches). Home teams within the competition are determined by the draw. In matchups between countries who have played each other in the past, the "away" team from the most recent matchup between the two is deemed the home side and allowed to choose a location for the tie. The draw also specifies which weeks are set up during the year for Davis Cup play, with all of the quarterfinals usually played the same weekend in July and each of the semifinals held simultaneously in September. The finalists meet in December of each year to square off for one of sports' most historic prizes. The idea behind the competition that would become known as the Davis Cup emerged in 1899, when a group of Harvard tennis players suggested a contest between players from the United States and the British Isles. Dwight F. Davis, one of the Harvard men, suggested a tournament format and commissioned a trophy for the initial challenge event, to be hosted by the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston. Davis was a member of the U.S. team in that first competition, played in 1900 and known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy.

The Americans triumphed by a 3-0 score, and then took the second challenge event two years later in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Brits won the competition for the first time in 1903, in their third attempt to top the Americans. France and then Australasia (comprised of players from Australia and New Zealand) joined in Davis Cup play the following two years, with Australasia becoming the third nation to win the event in 1907. Although the first World War kept the Davis Cup from being played from 1915 to 1919, the competition's popularity continued to grow as additional countries became involved in the annual competition. In those early years, the Davis Cup's defending champion advanced directly to the final round to await an opponent that survived among the rest of the participating nations. With the event attracting more countries, organizers in 1923 split up the participating nations into two zones -- the America zone and Europe zone -- with the winners of each zone facing each other to determine which would meet the defending champion in the final round. During that decade, the U.S.

team won seven straight titles from 1920 to 1926 (a record for successful defenses that still stands). The next year marked the beginning of another country's dominance, as the "Four Musketeers" of France captured the first of six consecutive Davis Cup titles. That stretch not only ended the dominance of Australasia, Great Britain and the U.S., but saw the finals move from grass courts to the clay (of Stade Roland Garros in Paris) for the first time. Fred Perry led Great Britain to four consecutive title victories in the mid-1930s, before Davis Cup competition was again put on hold (due to World War II) from 1940 through 1945. Once the event returned to the annual sports schedule, the United States and Australia began to dominate the competition and were the only countries to claim Davis Cup titles between 1937 and 1973. The competition's structure was revised again during that period, as the increase in participating nations saw a separate "Eastern Zone" added in 1955, while European countries were split into two distinct zones a decade later.

And by the 1972, the defending champion no longer advanced directly to the final round and was required to compete from the opening rounds each year. South Africa, Sweden and Italy captured their first Davis Cup titles in the 1970s, and the Czech Republic earned its only championship in 1980. In the following year, the tiered competition of a World Group and various levels of zonal play established in 1981. Sweden won the Davis Cup three times in the 1980s, advancing to seven straight finals from 1983 to 1989. In the last two years of that stretch, the Swedes were defeated by Germany, which earned its first-ever title in 1988 and then became just the third nation to repeat as champions after the abolition of the challenge round in 1972. The 1990s saw another increase in participating countries, with 1993 marking the first time that 100 nations took part in the competition. Three years later, the Davis Cup was won in the fifth set of the fifth rubber (of the final) for the first time, when France defeated Sweden.

The competition's celebrated its centennial in 1999, with traditional power Australia claiming another championship. Spain and Russia each lifted the trophy for the first time within the next three years, before the Aussies claimed a 28th Davis Cup title in 2004. In 2005, Croatia became the 12th nation -- and first unseeded team -- to win the Davis Cup by defeating Slovak Republic 3-2 in the World Group Final. Two years later, the U.S. claimed a record 32nd Davis Cup after topping Russia in the final round ending a 12-year gap between Davis Cup successes, the longest in the nation's history. Rafael Nadal and Spain captured back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2008 and 2009, but the two-time defending champions were knocked out of the 2010 competition in the quarterfinal round by France, which then fell to Serbia in the final round. The Spanish team then regained the trophy in 2011, defeating Argentina in the final round to win its fifth overall title and third within a four-year period.

All-Time Davis Cup Champions Leander Paes: "100% available for Davis Cup selection" Gaurav Kalra in Melbourne Indian doubles star rejects AITA's suggestion to consider retirement after tie in February, says he is ready to play under Mahesh Bhupathi. Czechs won't have Tomas Berdych in Davis Cup against Australia Associated Press Tomas Berdych says he won't return to Melbourne next month to play for the Czech Republic in the first round of Davis Cup against Australia. Davis Cup perfect stage to retire: AITA tells Paes Susan Ninan AITA wants 43-year-old to go out on a high and avoid being dropped after next month's NZ tie. Aljas Bedene considered quitting tennis over Davis Cup snub PA Sport Aljaz Bedene has revealed he almost quit tennis last year in the wake of the decision to forbid him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup. Swiss team without Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka in U.S. for Davis Cup Associated Press Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka will not be with Switzerland when the team travels to the United States for the Davis Cup next month, which was expected as Olympic eligibility is not a factor.

Davis Cup 2015: Daily Scores, Schedule and 1st Round Bracket Results | Bleacher Report Davis Cup 2015: Daily Scores, Schedule and 1st Round Bracket Results By Mike Chiari , Featured Columnist Mar 6, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Jan Kruger/Getty Images 1 Comment The Davis Cup is the pre-eminent international competition in tennis, as it has been contested since 1900. With such a rich history, all 16 competing nations would undoubtedly love to put themselves in the record books in 2015. While some of the world's best players have opted to sit out the event either due to injury or a desire for rest, that doesn't apply to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and many others. With several elite players in the field, there is no shortage of intrigue surrounding the opening round. As teams attempt to advance to July's quarterfinal round, here is a day-by-day breakdown of the Davis Cup action taking place across the globe.

Current Overall Results 2015 Davis Cup Overall First-Round Results Team 1 2015 Davis Cup Day 3 Singles Results Player KAZ; 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) ARG; 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) JPN; 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 Vasek Pospisil (CAN) SUI; 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) BEL; 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 DavisCup.com The Bryan brothers kept the United States alive with a tense five-set victory Saturday. The Americans' hopes of reaching the quarterfinals ended in the first match Sunday, however, as Andy Murray knocked off John Isner to advance Great Britain.

It's the second straight year Great Britain has knocked out the U.S. with Murray delivering the final blow. He won a close first set in a tiebreak and never looked back, taking advantage of a tiring Isner, who lost in five sets on the opening day. BBC Tennis pointed out the lack of success on return, which ultimately doomed Isner twice: Isner has been on court for 7 hours in Glasgow. Against the combination of Ward and Murray, he's broken serve once. pic.twitter.com/chYqMKZrVx — BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) March 8, 2015 The U.S. Davis Cup Team congratulated the winning side: Congrats to Great Britain, who win #GBRUSA tie 3-1 w/ #Murray beating #Isner 7-6, 6-3, 7-6. #USATennis #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/OoVpuihG6f — US Davis Cup Team (@USDavisCupTeam) March 8, 2015 Great Britain moves on to play France in the next round. Kazakhstan also advanced with an upset of Italy.

Mikhail Kukushkin won both of his singles matches, and Aleksandr Nedovyesov came up with a thrilling five-set triumph over Fabio Fognini in the deciding match. Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times noted the conclusion: Aleksandr Nedovyesov beats Fabio Fognini 7-5 in the fifth to give Kazakhstan a surprise 3-2 win over 2014 semifinalist Italy. #DavisCup — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 8, 2015 Stuart Fraser of the Daily Mail highlighted the country's surprising success in the opening round of the event in recent years: Kazakhstan have done it again! Into the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years as Nedovyesov beats Fognini in a five-set decider. — Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) March 8, 2015 Kazakhstan found out its quarterfinal opponent a short time later. That's because as Nedovyesov beat Fognini, Australia's Bernard Tomic was putting the finishing touches on a straight-sets win over Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic.

It was his second victory of the round and gave the Aussies the necessary three points. Not only does the successful series set up a very winnable quarterfinal with Kazakhstan, but Australia also gets to serve as the host. So there's a golden opportunity to at least reach the semifinals. In fact, that should be the expectation. Darren Cahill of ESPN praised the effort of Tomic: Gotta hand it to Bernie Tomic. Been putting in the hard yards the last 6 months & it's paying dividends. Steps up for the Aussies @DavisCup 👍 — Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) March 8, 2015 The Davis Cup provided draw details for the next round: We know our first #DavisCup quarterfinal! Australia will host Kazakhstan on 17-19 July! pic.twitter.com/ymipFssNID — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 8, 2015 Canada and Belgium also punched their tickets for the quarterfinals on Sunday, setting up what will be a fun head-to-head matchup. The Canadians got through after Vasek Pospisil covered for teammate Milos Raonic and beat Go Soeda in straight sets.

Kei Nishikori made it interesting by beating Raonic earlier in the day, but his effort was all for naught as Soeda was outclassed by Pospisil. Belgium also needed the fifth match in order to advance, with David Goffin taking out Adrien Bossel in straight sets. Day 2 Results 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 DavisCup.com The Italian combination of Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli was able to put their side in the driver's seat heading into Sunday singles with a four-set win over Andrei Golubev and Alexander Nedovesov of Kazakhstan. Fognini and Bolelli are ideal Davis Cup players. Not only are they solid singles competitors, but they also excel as a pair in doubles. They illustrated that by winning the Australian Open doubles crown back in January. They raced out to a two-set lead before Golubev and Nedovesov fought back in the third. An extended, tense tiebreak fell in the Kazakhs' favor. But the Italians were able to regroup in time to secure the win without needing a fifth set.

Fognini sent along a picture of the winning side: — Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) March 7, 2015 France locked up a spot in July's quarterfinals thanks to Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, which easily dispatched Benjamin Becker and Andre Begemann of Germany in straight sets. The win gave the French side an insurmountable 3-0 lead. The French Federation of Tennis highlighted the celebration of the first team to reach the quarters. Next up will be the winner of the fixture between the United States and Great Britain. Serbia joined France in the quarterfinals thanks to Novak Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic. The top-ranked player on the ATP Tour had already picked up a singles victory on Friday. He stepped right back up today to finish off Croatia. Tennis Panorama News notes the Serbians will get the winners of Brazil against Argentina: Djokovic/Zimonjic clinch the tie for Serbia winning the doubles rubber 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 for 3-0.

Serbia to play winner of #ARGBRA #DavisCup — Tennis Panorama News (@TennisNewsTPN) March 7, 2015 Australia had a chance to become the third nation in the next round. The Czech Republic team of Jirí Vesely and Adam Pavlasek prevented their side's elimination, however, with a hard-fought victory over Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt in five sets. The Davis Cup showcased the comeback triumph that kept the Czechs alive heading into the second pair of singles matches: #CZEAUS Pavlasek & @jiri_vesely keep the tie alive with a 16 76(2) 36 76(4) 62 win v Groth/Hewitt! Czechs trail 2-1 pic.twitter.com/sFVtgtSriN — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 7, 2015 After splitting the Day 1 singles clashes, Belgium was able to give itself a slight edge with a doubles victory.

It was Ruben Bemelmans and Niels Desein bouncing back after a lackluster opening set to edge the Swiss side of Adrien Bossel and Michael Lammer. Switzerland is without Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka. In turn, former Belgian player Filip Dewulf is confident the doubles win should lead to his home side advancing: Bemelmans-Desein beat Lammer-Bossel 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Belgium-Switzerland: 2-1. This should do it, @stevedarcishark will finish the job. — Dewulf Filip (@GraveyardFilip) March 7, 2015 For the Americans, the pressure was on the Bryan brothers—Bob and Mike—to keep their hopes of advancing alive for another day. A shocking five-set loss by John Isner after leading 2-0 on Friday put the team's backs against the wall. It appeared the world's top doubles tandem was on cruise control through two sets.

But for a second straight day Great Britain, this time the team of Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray, was able to fight all the way back to force a deciding fifth set. This time the United States regrouped in time to get the point. Not before an extended battle, though. The Bryans were finally able to get the break a 7-7 and then closed it out on serve to at least give their team a chance on Sunday. The U.S. Davis Cup Team celebrated the escape: Survive in five! #Bryans keep #USATennis in it, win 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7, 9-7 over Murray & Inglot. #GBRUSA pic.twitter.com/AYitPDpeiB — US Davis Cup Team (@USDavisCupTeam) March 7, 2015 Bob Bryan thanked fans for the great atmosphere: Thx Glasgow for a fun day of dubs. Was a helluva match & we're happy to keep the team alive. Looking forward to Day3.

pic.twitter.com/a4hpGfg9hX — Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros) March 7, 2015 The Americans still face an uphill battle to complete the comeback. They'll be happy to take their chances after nearly getting knocked out in truly agonizing fashion, though. Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares scored a straight-sets triumph over Carlos Berlocq and Diego Schwartzman to give Brazil a 2-1 lead over Argentina. After a tight first set, the Brazilians were able to settle in and left very few openings for their South American counterparts. Caro Paquin of BA Tennis World noted it was a tough ask of the Argentine pair: Let's just hope ARG fans won't be too hard on Berlocq and especially Schwartzman. Melo/Soares are a seasoned pair + it's Diego's 1st rubber. — Caro Paquin (@caropaquin80) March 7, 2015 In the final match of the day, Canada grabbed a 2-1 lead over Japan after a doubles victory from Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil.

The Canadian duo needed the full five sets to get past Go Soeda and Yasutaka Uchiyama. After the match, Nestor said that he wasn't expecting any less of a fight from Soeda and Uchiyama, per the Canadian Press, via Sportsnet : You are playing Davis Cup and you have to expect they are going to play their best. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because you want to go more straight forward. There is a reason you are ranked higher and you want them to fold. That doesn’t happen. Canada is now in a great position heading into the final singles round. It just needs either Milos Raonic or Pospisil to prevail, and it will be through. Day 1 Results The opening day of Davis Cup competition featured everything a tennis fan could possibly ask for. There were dominant performances from top players, a few upsets and plenty of interesting matchups all over the world.

Here is a rundown of how things played out Friday, courtesy of DavisCup.com , with two days of first-round action still on tap: 2015 Davis Cup Day 1 Singles Results Player 1 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 DavisCup.com Perhaps the most highly anticipated matchup of the first round pits the United States against Great Britain. The Americans have won the Davis Cup more than anyone else, with 32 titles, while the Brits are third with nine. While neither squad is considered to be among the best currently, they put on an entertaining show at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. The Brits were heavily favored in the opening match as world No. 5 Andy Murray took on Donald Young. Despite Team USA being the obvious underdogs, it had some recent history on its side. As pointed out by Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times, Murray entered the match having struggled against American players in the month of March for some unexplained reason: Fun fact: Andy Murray has lost his last four matches against Americans in month of March, despite being 54-12 vs USA overall.

#idesofmurray — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 6, 2015 Murray could have let that stat get in his head, but any concern was quickly erased as he came out of the gates firing. He breezed through the first two sets of the match, allowing Young to take just one game in each. With Murray rolling, his older brother and fellow Team GB member Jamie Murray couldn't help but be impressed: Andy in full on beast mode #daviscup — Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) March 6, 2015 It would have been easy for Young to fold with Murray rolling on home soil, but that certainly wasn't the case. The young American battled back to take the third set 6-4, and he received approval from teammates Bob and Mike Bryan: After getting brutalized in the first two sets, Donald Young takes the third out of nowhere, 6-4 over Murray. Bryans appreciate his effort.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 6, 2015 That would turn out to be the high point of Young's day, though, as Murray returned to dominant form in the fourth set to win it 6-2 and take the match as well. According to DavisCup.com , winning in such impressive fashion in Scotland meant a lot to Murray: I was born here so to play in front of a packed arena in Glasgow is very special. I'm glad I managed to play a good match and get the win. The emotions were running pretty high and I played an extremely high level in the first two sets and it was tough to keep that level up so I had a slight lull in the third set. With Murray giving Britain a 1-0 lead overall, the pressure shifted toward big John Isner, who likely needed a win over James Ward in order to keep Team USA's hopes of advancing to the quarters alive. The big-serving Isner was favored, much like Murray was for Great Britain, but there was even more riding on his shoulders with the Americans facing a deficit. Isner and Ward matched each other shot for shot in the opening set, which resulted in the need for a tiebreak.

Per Christopher Clarey of The New York Times, Isner is certainly no stranger to those types of high-pressure situations: Tiebreakers are to John Isner what ponds are to frogs — Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) March 6, 2015 His tiebreak experience ultimately paid off as he took it 7-4 to win the opening set. The second set seemed destined for a tiebreak as well, but the American was able to strike a major blow at 5-5. According to Dan King of The Sun, Isner manufactured the first break of the match for either player to go up 6-5: Ward is battling hard, but he's broken for the first time in the match and at a crucial time. Isner to serve for the second set at 6-5. — Dan King (@DanKing_1974) March 6, 2015 With his serve humming along, Isner made no mistake by holding once again to win the second set 7-5 and pulled within one set of victory. All signs pointed toward Isner closing it out, but he showed his first sign of weakness in the third set.

Ward was able to break him twice with the second one whipping the Scottish crowd into a frenzy, per Arash Madani of Sportsnet: Davis Cup drama begins. Down two-sets-to-none in Glasgow, James Ward breaks John Isner and leads 5-2 in the third. Building is rockin'. — Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) March 6, 2015 Ward closed out the third set on serve to take it 6-3, which shifted the pressure back toward Isner in a virtual must-win situation. Isner put himself in a comfortable position, as he forced the second tiebreak of the match in the fourth. It was Ward who showed nerves of steel, though, by winning the tiebreak and forcing a decisive fifth set. According to Barry Flatman of The Sunday Times, Isner was his own worst enemy due to a bevy of unforced errors: 5 unforced errors from John Isner in 4th set tiebreak. James Ward now looks the fresher as they set out in the 5th and final set.

— Barry Flatman (@Barry_FlatmanST) March 6, 2015 With no tiebreak in the fifth set, Isner and Ward seemed poised to slug it out well beyond the length of a typical match, and that is precisely what happened. The Brit constantly put the pressure on Isner as he served first, but the big American continued to dig deep and hold serve in his own right. After several break points and match points were avoided on both sides, Ward was finally able to put Isner away by breaking him at love to take it 15-13. With that victory, the Brits put the Americans on the ropes as another Murray singles match is still in Great Britain's back pocket. In other action, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic gave Serbia an early advantage over Croatia by cruising past an overmatched Mate Delic in straight sets. While Delic put forth a strong effort, Djoker proved to be too much.

After his triumph to put Serbia on top 1-0, Nole showed his support for the home fans, per Davis Cup on Twitter: Here's what @DjokerNole had to say to the Serbian crowd after his straight sets win over Delic pic.twitter.com/DoqRWprNan — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 6, 2015 Djokovic's showing was supplemented by teammate Viktor Troicki, as he overcame a two-set deficit to score a comeback victory over Croatia's Borna Coric. Serbia now has a commanding 2-0 lead, which will be extremely difficult to come back from since Djokovic still has another singles match on tap. Every tie is technically still up for grabs, and there is little doubt that many of them will come down to the wire in exciting fashion. Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Question: Which country won the 2015 Davis Cup (world team tennis)?
Answer: Great Britain