Davis Cup doubles doesn’t come any bigger than Saturday’s must-win showdown between Australia and Great Britain in Glasgow.
A place in the 2015 Cup final goes on the line at the Emirates Stadium and the day-two doubles match-up will almost certainly decide the indoor hardcourt tie.
British spearhead Andy Murray carries a commanding 15-0 winning record over Australian opponents, the world No.3’s dominance stretching a decade since his first career victory over Lleyton Hewitt in San Jose.
Murray will be a raging favourite to collect two singles points in the semi-final, while Bernard Tomic, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Sam Groth and Hewitt between them should take care of whoever British captain Leon Smith chooses as his No.2 singles option.
Kyle Edmund is the world No.100 and James Ward ranked 14st after slumping to eight straight defeats since his run to the Wimbledon third round.
The stage is well and truly set for one of the most significant doubles encounters in Australian Davis Cup history.
Jamie Murray, who has partnered Australian John Peers to back-to-back grand slam finals at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, is a lock for one of the British spots.
Smith is weighing up his options, with Andy Murray and Dom Inglot both proven candidates to partner the older Murray sibling.
The Murrays accounted for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut in Britain’s quarter-final defeat of France, while Inglot and Jamie Murray only went down 9-7 in the fifth set to the American’s top-ranked Bryan brothers in the first round at the same Glasgow venue being used this weekend.
“We’re in a great shape. If Jamie and I get called upon to play as a team there won’t be any issue with match practice,” Inglot said after making the US Open doubles semi-finals with Swede Robert Lindstedt.
“I’ve played nine in a row now, I’m feeling pretty good.
“He’s feeling pretty good. There might be a few things we need to work on and that’s it.”
Australian captain Wally Masur is making no secret that Hewitt and Groth will again team up in Glasgow after doing the business against Kazakhstan in July.
“Definitely looking at them at the doubles team at the moment,” Masur said.
“I won’t go all (former captain) Neale Fraser and play ducks and drakes.”
Groth is pumped about the opportunity.
“The doubles is always crucial but when you have someone like Andy in the opposing team who it’s very tough to win singles against, the doubles becomes even more important,” he told AAP.
“I’m extremely excited about playing. I believe we are good enough to win.
“Lleyton has always played his best in Davis Cup and I think in Darwin we both proved we can win and perform in a situation where our backs are against the wall and the pressure is on.”
