Leon Smith hailed a “very good day” for Great Britain after wins for debutant Jack Draper and Dan Evans in Manchester secured victory over Australia.
Draper’s run to the fourth round of the US Open earned him not just a second Great Britain call-up but a first appearance, with Smith picking him ahead of his top-ranked player Cameron Norrie and former world number one Andy Murray for the opening tie of the group stage.
The 21-year-old fully justified his captain’s faith, thrilling a 9,000-strong crowd at the AO Arena by breaking Kokkinakis when he served for the match then coming from 4-2 down in the deciding tie-break to win 6-7 (6) 6-3 7-6 (4) after two hours and 52 minutes.
Evans then took to the court against world number 12 Alex De Minaur, the highest-ranked player in the four-team group.
Evans has struggled for long periods this season but found his form on the North American hard courts with a title in Washington and a strong performance against Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.
And he extended his tour-level winning record against De Minaur to 3-0 with a 6-1 2-6 6-4 victory, staying strong after the Australian fought back from 4-1 in the decider.
That gave Britain an unassailable lead, with a top-two spot in the group needed to secure progress to the quarter-finals and matches against Switzerland and France still to come this week.
“It’s a really good day for us,” said Smith. “Extremely difficult Aussie team but we’re difficult too. Jack showed again what he’s capable of, both in quality but also the heart and competitiveness he’s got. To steal it at the end when Kokkinakis served for it shows a lot of character. It’s a really good win for him.
“I said to Dan I think it’s one of the best matches I’ve seen him play, I thought he was absolutely brilliant against one of the in-form players on the tour. I just think Dan was amazing but it doesn’t surprise me.”
Australia avoided a clean sweep, with former Wimbledon champions Matt Ebden and Max Purcell defeating Evans and Neal Skupski 7-6 (5) 6-4 in the doubles rubber to make the final score 2-1.
For most of his long tenure, Smith’s team, based around Murray, virtually picked itself. Greater options have left him with more difficult decisions and he was criticised for his selection at the same stage last year, when Britain made an early exit.
There will have been great satisfaction for the Scot, therefore, in the performance of Draper, who has been kept off court for much of the season by a string of frustrating injuries but carried the confidence of his run in New York into this clash against another 6ft 4in heavyweight in Kokkinakis.
It was a match of a few crucial moments, with Draper missing a set point at 4-5 in the opening set and then unable to take advantage of momentum at the start of the decider. He looked in big trouble when he dropped serve at 4-4 before staging a rousing comeback.
Of his selection, Draper said: “Leon told me a couple of days ago. He said he wanted me to be out there and that he believed in me.
“I knew I’d played some tough matches at the US Open and I felt really good about my tennis. That helped the nerves a lot. I haven’t played too many great matches this season but I think that was one of them.
Evans admitted to nerves, too, but was proud of his performance, saying: “It means a lot. I played good tennis, I executed what we spoke about and I did it to pretty much as good as I’ve got. It was still a battle, no part of the match was easy, and that was for me the impressive thing that I pulled through.”
Australia, who made the final of the competition last year, must bounce back quickly for a must-win clash against France on Thursday, when the crowd is likely to be a fraction of what it was for this tie.
Captain and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt is a long-standing critic of the move away from the traditional home-and-away format, and he said: “We’ve just taken the great things away from what made this competition so special. It doesn’t feel the same.”
Japan 1-1 Australia: Own goals see points shared in World Cup qualifying
An own goal at either end saw Japan and Australia draw 1-1 in the third round of World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Australia's stuttering start to qualifying continued, as Cameron Burgess bundled into his own net as the visitors failed to hold onto their lead.
It was all Japan in the opening stages, but despite their first-half dominance, they struggled to create an opening, with only Ritsu Doan testing Joe Gauci.
Australia, whose only shot came in the seventh minute, took the lead against the run of play – Lewis Miller's low cross was turned into the back of the net by Shogo Taniguchi, who should have done better with the clearance.
Japan got their own slice of luck in the 76th minute though, as Keito Nakamura weaved his way down the left to the byline before pulling it back into the middle, and Gauci could not keep out Burgess' attempted block.
The hosts attempted to push for a late winner, but Australia sat deep to protect what could prove a crucial point against another of Asia's best teams.
Data Debrief: Firing blanks
It was far from a classic, with both teams offering little in terms of attacking threat. In fact, Australia did not manage a single shot on target, only logging one overall.
Indeed, their expected goals (xG) tells the story, with Australia mustering just 0.01, in contrast to Japan's 0.76, which came from 12 shots, and only three of those were on target.
Taniguchi's own goal is the fourth that Australia have benefitted from in 2024, while only in 2018 have they ever recorded more such goals (five).
Sinner and Alcaraz to fill void after Nadal retirement
Michael Chang is confident men's tennis is in good hands with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, following confirmation of Rafael Nadal's retirement.
Nadal will feature at the Davis Cup Finals for Spain before ending his glittering career next month, becoming the latest of the "Big Four" to walk away from the court.
Roger Federer called time on his career in 2022, while Andy Murray retired after the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
While Novak Djokovic – who is one win away from claiming a 100th Tour-level title – remains the last active player from that iconic quartet, Chang is delighted with the next generation.
"I think it's pretty clear at this point, if you look at the matches of both Alcaraz and Sinner, their games are dominating," 1989 French Open winner Chang told Stats Perform.
"Novak is still playing great tennis and to be able to win the Olympic Games is huge. You know he will still continue to fight for grand slam titles, but the games of these younger players and their confidence on court suggest they will be around for a while, barring any injuries.
"Jannik and Carlos have learned from the previous generation, they learned what it takes to go out and play unbelievable tennis.
"Carlos talks about how he watched these players growing up, how he has learned from them and taken their best qualities to improve his own game, which is very evident.
"They've inspired the younger generation and are well-liked off the court as well.
"Fans can relate to them, they're very humble in nature yet competitive on the court, which is a continuation of that kind of atmosphere and attitude that is really wonderful for our sport of tennis."
Sinner's triumph at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday saw him claim his place at the top of the ATP year-end world rankings, with only Djokovic and Nadal doing so quicker in a season since the modification of those rankings in 2009.
The Italian has won 65 of his 71 Tour-level matches this year, claiming seven trophies, including the Australian Open and US Open.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, won the other two grand slams.
The Spaniard has won all three of his meetings with Sinner this season, and Chang believes this is only the start of a blossoming rivalry that will go beyond the sport as a whole.
"I think they've already begun to do that. Carlos, in particular, is involved in many non-tennis-related activities and I think that will be pretty commonplace for them," Chang added.
"They're young and vibrant, with interests outside tennis, which is great to see.
"I don't think they'll get side-tracked like some players who have done really well in tennis, and then all of a sudden have this modelling contract over here or this and that over there and then all of a sudden, where did their tennis go?
"I don't see that happening with Alcaraz and Sinner. They seem disciplined, focused, and one-track-minded, but they won't shy away from being involved in other pursuits.
"I think they will keep that focus and will be good for our sport."
Nadal's 'unfathomable' French Open record will not be matched, says Chang
Rafael Nadal's dominance on the clay courts remains "unfathomable" and will not be matched in our lifetime, says former French Open champion Michael Chang.
Chang is still the youngest man to win a singles major, doing so aged 17 years and 109 days at the 1989 French Open, but the former professional believes no one will come close to the retiring Nadal.
The Spaniard will bring an end to his storied career after next month's Davis Cup Finals on home soil in Malaga, having managed 22 grand slam titles in total.
A remarkable 14 of those came at the French Open, the most of any player at a single major in history, and Chang cannot see another competitor getting close to Nadal's exploits.
Asked by Stats Perform if another player can dominate like Nadal at Roland-Garros, Chang said: "It's difficult to say. I don't think we'll see anyone as dominant as Rafa on clay in our lifetime.
"His record is unbelievable. For him to win 14 French Opens is unfathomable."
Nadal's unbelievable 96.6% win rate at the French Open (112 wins from 116 matches) is the best of any player at a grand slam event in men's singles.
Indeed, only Novak Djokovic (twice), Robin Soderling and Alexander Zverev have ever beaten the 38-year-old at the tournament.
His 14-0 record in Roland-Garros finals is also the best recorded by anyone at an event in the Open Era, with Chang lauding his dominance on clay, as well as his adaptability on other surfaces.
"He grew up playing on clay in Spain, and being a lefty, for him to know the angles and calculations better than anyone else," Chang added.
"What's amazing is that he's been able to take that style of play and modify it for success on grass and hard courts.
"We've had great clay-court players who couldn't translate that success to other surfaces, but Rafa is not one of them.
"His volleying skills are among the best on tour, which you wouldn't normally say about other Spanish players, except for [Carlos] Alcaraz now."
Only three tournaments have been won more than 10 times by the same player in the Open Era – Roland-Garros (14), Barcelona (12) and Monte-Carlo (11), all by Nadal on the clay.
For that reason, Chang believes Nadal's legacy will leave a long-lasting impression on those who witnessed his greatness on the French clay.
"It is incredible what he has done at the French Open and his passion and love for winning there is incredible. His record speaks for itself," Chang concluded.
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