Andy Murray is confident that Great Britain can be crowned Davis Cup champions once more when the team get under way in Manchester tomorrow.
GB captain Leon Smith has named a star-studded line-up, which includes Murray, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Jack Draper.
Their event ambitions begin against Australia, and Murray is backing the team to emulate their Cup-winning heroics from 2015.
“I genuinely believe that the team can win the event,” said the former world No1. “That’s huge motivation to be a part of it.
“There’s no reason why we can’t win the Davis Cup again. I do really believe that, so of course I want to be a part of that and help the team in any way I can, whether that’s on the court or off.”
As captain, Smith faces a tough choice in the singles rubbers. Draper is the form player, having recovered from injury to reach the fourth round of the US Open in New York last week.
Evans won the Citi Open in Washington DC last month, while Norrie remains British No1 and Murray had a good grasscourt season before losing in five sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon earlier in the summer.
Of Smith’s selection decisions, Murray said: “There are a lot of players that deserve to play and be in the team.
“Obviously, the singles guys, Cam has been doing brilliantly for years now, Evo played extremely well in the States and Jack has a brilliant run in New York off the back of a tough season with injuries, and then Neal Skupski is obviously one of the best doubles players in the world.
“We have the opportunity to improve upon previous years. The atmosphere is different to when you play somewhere like Wimbledon or at any of the other tournaments we compete at.
“It’s very loud and partisan, and it makes a big difference to the team.”
