The Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals got underway in the early hours of this morning with Australia facing in Brisbane on hard courts at the Pat Rafter Arena. Jordan Thompson and Jack Sock and Nick Kyrgios and John Isner contested the first two singles rubbers and if results went the way of form and world rankings it’s possible the tie could be level heading in to Saturday’s doubles rubber.

Great Britain’s chances of reaching the semi-finals were improved when all of France’s main stars Monfils, Gasquet and Simon withdrew from the tie. The tie gets underway this afternoon in Rouen, France at the indoor Kindarena on clay and Lucas Pouille will face Kyle Edmunds while Jeremy Chardy (Simon’s replacement) faces Dan Evans and its more than possible GB will pick up a point from one of the matches.

2015 winners Belgium face Italy this afternoon in Charleroi, Belgium at the Spiroudome de Charleroi on indoor hard courts and while Italy have an experienced veteran team they are without their best player Fognini and their chances of reaching the semi-finals on indoor hard courts this weekend are slim at best. Serbia and Spain round of the quarter-final tie’s and the encounter is being played in Belgrade, Serbia at the Aleksandar Nikolic Arena on indoor hard courts, which gives the home team a distinct advantage as world number two Djokovic and Troicki face clay court specialists Carreno-Busta and Ramos-Vinolas in today’s singles rubbers.