Great Britain’s Davis Cup hanging by a thread with Dan Evans out, Cameron Norrie in doubt
Dan Evans has withdrawn from the Davis Cup after suffering a muscle strain in his right calf earlier this week at the Vienna Open.
Britain’s captain, Leon Smith, picked an unchanged lineup for the Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia in Malaga next month but has been hit with the withdrawal of Evans, while Cameron Norrie is also in doubt.
Norrie, Andy Murray, Jack Draper, and Neal Skupski are all still in the team as things stand.
The team will face Novak Djokovic’s Serbia in the last eight from Tuesday, 21 November to Sunday, 26 November.
“I am extremely disappointed but wish the rest of the GB team all the very best in Malaga,” Evans wrote in a post on his Instagram story.
“I will be working hard with my support team to get back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
The 33-year-old was 4-1 up against seventh seed Frances Tiafoe in the first set of his opening-round match in Vienna when he was forced to quit due to the injury.
Evans contributed to Britain’s Group B success by winning crucial singles and doubles matches at the Manchester AO Arena.
Evans was also the most recent singles titleist among the British Davis Cup team, having claimed the Citi Open in Washington ahead of the US Open.
Britain overcame 2022 runners-up and second seeds Australia 2-1, with a superb performance from debutant Jack Draper carrying the day, and then defeated Switzerland and France.
Norrie received knee treatment after his 6-2, 6-4 loss to Alexander Zverev on Wednesday and later withdrew from the Paris Masters, but he is likely to be ready for the Davis Cup.
Despite a dismal run of form, Norrie remains the nation’s leading men’s player and has been selected by British captain Leon Smith in the same five-man squad that reached the Davis Cup Final Eight, which also included Andy Murray.
His absence from Paris, the final Masters tournament of the ATP Tour season, is thought to be a precautionary measure, and he is anticipated to be good to go in Malaga with his British teammates.
If Smith does opt to bring another player into the mix it might be that he chooses to reinforce with a doubles expert like Jamie Murray or Joe Salisbury.
Evans had been part of the preferred British doubles axis alongside Skupski, with the pairing doing well in the previous round of Davis Cup competition.
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