- Dan Evans beats Adrian Mannarino to kickstart Group F win
- British No 1 Norrie defeats Arthur Rinderknech after tiebreak
The abject silence of sporting contests held behind closed doors during Austria’s return to lockdown may not be the ideal atmosphere for any Davis Cup tie, but in their first appearance at the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, Great Britain made their own atmosphere and handled their business well. As their singles superiority on paper translated to reality, tGB secured an essential 2-0 win over France in Innsbruck to clinch their first victory of Group F.
In the opening rubber between the two second-ranked players, Dan Evans overcame some tough resistance from Adrian Mannarino, the world No 71, to win 7-5, 6-4. Cameron Norrie, the British No 1, followed shortly after, securing the win by saving two set points in a breathless, extended tiebreak before edging past Arthur Rinderknech 6-2, 7-6 (8).