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Leon Smith has not ruled out Jack Draper making a swift return to action in Great Britain’s Davis Cup opener against Finland on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old was due to arrive at Manchester’s AO Arena on Tuesday afternoon, four days after his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the US Open.
Draper struggled physically during the encounter, with anxiety and the humid conditions causing him to vomit several times on court.
But British captain Smith reported the British No 1 is in good health, with a decision to be made on his involvement following practice.
“Until we get on the court and start doing some stuff, it’s quite hard to tell how (he) feels,” said Smith.
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Highlights of the action-packed US Open semi-final between Draper and Jannik Sinner
“It’s just a question of figuring out where he is at with his energy, how much tennis he can play over the course of the week. But, if he’s good to go, he’s good to go. If he’s not, I’ve got every faith in those sitting beside me now.”
Britain will take on Finland, Argentina and Canada over the next five days in Group D of the initial stage of the Davis Cup Finals, with the top two teams progressing to the last eight in Malaga in November.
Draper’s presence is crucial for the home nation, who are looking for a new talisman now Andy Murray has retired, while Cameron Norrie is also missing as he continues to be troubled by a forearm injury.
“We are absolutely thrilled that he’s coming,” Smith said of Draper, who made his Davis Cup debut at the same venue last year.
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Draper showed his optimism in conquering a Grand Slam as he reflected on his semi-final exit at the US Open to Sinner
“You can tell straight away that he gets Davis Cup. He plays with passion, pride, fight, and you mix that with the fact he’s a top-20 player with unbelievable quality, he’s going to be a very important member of the team not just this week but for many, many, many years to come.
“He absolutely loves it and his commitment by coming here just shows that.
“Obviously we miss Andy being around, just in general. He was a bedrock of the team for the last couple of decades, even put his heart and soul into one of the rubbers here last year against Switzerland.
“You could still see how much it meant to him then. But he’s not forgotten is he? He’s left a massive imprint and legacy on definitely me but also all the guys that are sitting here.”
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Following his run to the US Open semi-final, Martina Navratilova believes Draper can continue to go far in the Grand Slam events next year
Draper is joined in the team by veteran Dan Evans, doubles specialist Neal Skupski and two debutants in Billy Harris and Henry Patten.
Harris, who famously spent the early part of his career living in a converted transit van while touring around Europe, has achieved another first at the age of 29 while Patten, 28, has been rewarded for his surprise Wimbledon title in men’s doubles.
Britain will be favourites to beat Finland whether or not Draper plays but Argentina boast impressive strength in depth and Canada have star duo Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime in their line-up.
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Tim Henman showed his support for Draper following a ruthless US Open semi-final match against Sinner
Last year, Britain pulled off one of the most dramatic victories in the history of the competition when Evans and Skupski prevailed in a final set tie-break against France in the deciding doubles rubber to book their spot in Malaga.
Smith is expecting another nail-biting week, saying: “I think it’s a really even group, and something always happens. That’s what Davis Cup is, players take their chances.
“But I really believe we can be successful here. We’re really determined to do that. All the players here are in good confidence, playing well, so why not? We’ve got to get after this.”
Smith will certainly be glad Britain are not in Group B, which features Australia, Czech Republic, France and hosts Spain, who are led by Carlos Alcaraz.
Defending champions Italy, who are without Sinner, are taking on the Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil in Bologna, while the USA, Germany, Slovakia and Chile are doing battle in Zhuhai.
Where is Draper playing in the rest of 2024?
It’s not yet confirmed when Draper will next be in action, but after a brief hiatus the ATP Tour swings back into action with events in China and Japan from 16 September onwards.
The Chengdu Open (ATP 250) and Hangzhou Open (ATP 250) tournaments will be live on Sky Sports Tennis from that week, followed by the China Open (ATP 500) in Beijing and Japan Open (ATP 500) in Tokyo from September 23.
All matches will be watchable on Sky Sports as Draper looks to improve his impressive form on hard courts (17 wins – 9 losses), and across the calendar year (30-18) depending on where he next decides to play.
What else is coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in September?
- Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
- Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (9-15 September)
- Korea Open – WTA 500 (16 -22 September – with Emma Raducanu in action)
- Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
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