Tennis: GB handed Davis Cup rematch with USA

Andy Murray helped Britain defeat USA in San Diego in February to secure their place in the Davis Cup World Group. Picture: Getty

Britain secured their place at the elite level of the competition for a second consecutive season by upsetting USA in San Diego in February and then lost narrowly to Italy in the quarter-finals.

Because Britain played on US soil the last time the two teams met, this tie will be played in Britain from 6-8 March.

USA had been favoured to win the last tie but their choice of clay backfired and James Ward’s victory over Sam Querrey coupled with two wins for Andy Murray decided it.

Murray, who broke his silence on the subject of Scottish independence with a tweet in the early hours of yesterday morning backing a “yes” vote, has confirmed he will play in the rematch against the USA whatever the outcome of the referendum.

A home tie will not necessarily make Britain favourites this time, given USA were without No 1 John Isner last year.

Picking a surface will not be that easy for captain Leon Smith and his team given the fast indoor court they have selected for home ties in the past would also suit the US.

And the prowess of the Americans’ doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan means whoever is picked as No 2 singles player – probably Ward – will likely need to win a rubber.

It will be Britain’s first home match since April 2013, when they recovered from a 2-0 deficit to stun Russia at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

Victory for Britain over the US would mean another home tie against either top seeds France or Germany in July, while the pick of the other first-round ties are derby matches between Argentina and Brazil and Serbia and Croatia.

Meanwhile, China’s two-time grand slam winner Li Na is set to announce her retirement, according to widespread reports in her home country.

State broadcaster CCTV claims world No 6 Li, who won the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open singles titles, has chosen to hang up her racket due to knee injury concerns.

CCTV cites unnamed sources as saying the announcement will come today. Li, 32, has not commented on the reports.

CCTV said on its micro-blogging site: “According to insiders who broke the news, Li Na,  who won two women’s tennis grand slams, will officially announce her retirement publicly tomorrow [Friday].”

Li has not played since losing in the third round at Wimbledon in June to Czech player Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, sitting out the US Open.

In yesterday’s action, Caroline Wozniacki scraped past Jarmila Gajdosova to reach the last eight at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

The 24-year-old Dane, winner at the Tokyo-staged event in 2010 and runner-up at the US Open earlier this month, endured a tough battle against the Slovak-Australian qualifier before clinching a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to set up a quarter-final clash with Carla Suarez-Navarro.

After being pegged back to one set all, Gajdosova broke serve immediately in the decider. Wozniacki steamed back and took four straight games to lead 4-2. The pair then traded breaks, before Wozniacki wrapped up victory.

Earlier, eighth seed Suarez-Navarro of Spain moved past Russia’s Daria Gavrilova with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win while Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic suffered a straight-sets defeat as she was knocked out by Garbine Muguruza. The 29-year-old Jankovic was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in just under two hours by the Spanish player who beat Serena Williams on her way to the French Open quarter-finals.

Casey Dellacqua made light work of New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic, winning 6-2, 6-4 to set up a quarter-final clash against 20-year-old Muguruza.

Alize Cornet made sure of a place in the semi-finals of the Guangzhou International Women’s Open in China with a hard-fought 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei.

The Frenchwoman, seeded second, now meets Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky, who saw off the challenge of Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-2, 6-3. Wang Yafan carries Chinese hopes into the last four against Romanian Monica Niculescu.