1 week ago
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US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper has been near retired of Great Britain's opening necktie astatine the Davis Cup Finals radical signifier against Finland connected Wednesday.
Draper, 22, lone arrived successful Manchester connected Tuesday lunchtime and, aft practising nether the watchful oculus of British skipper Leon Smith aboriginal that day, has been fixed much accidental to retrieve from his exploits successful New York.
Draper had strapping applied to his close thigh earlier hitting with British fig 10 Charles Broom for astir an hr astatine the Manchester Regional Tennis Centre.
Billy Harris, who is the nation's highest-ranked subordinate successful Draper's absence, volition marque his Davis Cup debut aged 29.
Dan Evans besides plays successful the singles earlier teaming up with Neal Skupski successful the potentially-deciding doubles.
Speaking earlier Draper's practice, Smith said: "I person to prime the squad to bash what is best, not conscionable for Wednesday, but besides we person truly important matches astatine the weekend.
"We conscionable person to measurement up hazard versus reward a small bit.
"We person 4 guys present who are much than susceptible of going retired time if that's required and doing a truly bully job."
British men's fig 1 Draper produced the champion show of his vocation by reaching the past 4 successful New York.
His tally came to an extremity erstwhile helium lost to satellite fig 1 Jannik Sinner, who went connected to triumph the title, successful the semi-finals connected Friday.
Draper was sick connected tribunal during the match, afterwards putting that down to the intelligence accent of the occasion.
"It's a question of figuring retired wherever helium is astatine with his energy; however overmuch tennis helium tin play implicit the people of the week," Smith said connected Tuesday.
"But if he's bully to go, he's bully to go. If he's not I've got each religion successful those sitting beside maine now."
The British team, without Andy Murray for the archetypal clip since his caller retirement, has a antithetic consciousness for the Finals radical signifier event.
Evans and Skupski, who memorably teamed up to unafraid a "bonkers" doubles victory which enactment Britain done to the eight-team knockout signifier successful Manchester past year, stay successful the squad alongside Draper.
Harris - a precocious bloomer who has conscionable moved to a career-high 101st successful the satellite - and 28-year-old Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten are progressive for the archetypal time.
British fig 2 Cameron Norrie is missing done the limb wounded which ruled him retired of the US Open.
Smith's squad look Finland, Argentina and Canada successful the round-robin lawsuit astatine the AO Arena.
The apical 2 teams advancement to the eight-nation finals which volition beryllium held successful Malaga betwixt 19-24 November.
English (US)