Andy Murray leads Britain to Davis Cup quarter-finals

Andy Murray showed no restraint after defeating John Isner to clinch Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against the United States. Murray triumphed 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 yesterday at Glasgow, Scotland. Ian MacNicoShow more

Andy Murray wrapped up a Davis Cup triumph for Great Britain with a straight-sets victory over American No 1 John Isner on Sunday night.

Murray saved three set points before taking the opener on a tiebreaker and he remained in control after that to claim a 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory at Glasgow.

The win gave Great Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead over the United States and set up a World Group quarter-final tie against France – which Murray said he would prefer to play on grass.

Asked about the prospect of facing France at home the week after Wimbledon, Murray said: “I would imagine we’d try to play that on a grass court possibly.

“I don’t know how many grass courts they have here in Glasgow but if they can lay one, I’d really love to play here again.”

The big-serving Isner began superbly but could not convert any of his seven break-point chances in the first set. Three of those were set points.

Isner made a double-fault on the opening point of the tiebreaker for the only break of serve.

Murray, playing in the city of his birth, broke once in the second set and sealed victory with an ace on his second match point.

Moments after his 16th ace of the match had drifted away from Isner, Murray gave Britain captain Leon Smith a long embrace and then high-fived and hugged his teammates.

He then walked back onto the court, looked up and let out a huge roar in front of the 7,700-capacity crowd.

“It was one of the most special atmospheres I have ever played in,” said Murray, who was playing in Scotland for the first time since 2013.

“To be in the quarter-finals for a second year when it hasn’t happened for so long is ­incredible.”

Before last year Britain had not been in the last eight of the World Group since 1986.

Like in 2014, the US team are relegated to the World Group play-offs and will need to win to stay in the group.

Britain’s path to victory followed the same course as last year in San Diego – two wins in the opening-day singles, a defeat in the doubles, and a win for Murray in the first reverse singles.

His triumph gave Britain victory before James Ward took on Donald Young in the final dead rubber. Britain’s meeting with France will be on July 17-19.

The French team defeated Germany 3-2 after winning the first three matches, including singles triumphs for world top-20 players Gilles Simon and Gael ­Monfils.

Elsewhere, Serbia won both reverse singles for a 5-0 victory against Croatia in the Davis Cup World Group first round. Filip Krajinovich defeated Franko Skugor 6-4, 6-2 and Viktor Troicki defeated Mate Delic 6-4, 6-3.

“We hoped Novak Djokovic wouldn’t play, but that was just wishful thinking,” Croatian coach Zeljko Krajan said.

“Everything was great, except for the players, who were ­ruthless.”

Troicki said that “we played well all the matches, we feel great”.

The reverse singles were shortened because Serbia already had an unbeatable lead after winning the doubles on Saturday.

Serbia will play either Argentina or Brazil in the quarter-finals.

It was the second meeting between Serbia and Croatia since the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. In 2010, Djokovic led Serbia to a quarter-final victory in Split en route to its first and only title. Croatia won the Davis Cup in 2005.

At Ostrava, Czech Republic, Bernard Tomic beat Lukas Rosol 7-6 , 6-3, 7-6 to clinch a Davis Cup first-round 3-1 series win for Australia over the Czech Republic.

Tomic’s victory gives Australia a place in the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2006.

The Aussies will face Kazakhstan, which defeated Italy 3-2 in another first-round tie, in July.

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