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 Just over three months since Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka drove
them to an historic title in Lille, it was a different story without
their big two as the Swiss became the first champions in 10 years to
fall at the first hurdle.
Federer and Wawrinka had chosen to stand aside after achieving their
ambitions and the stand-ins were not able to upset the odds against
much higher-ranked players despite a heroic effort from 22-year-old
Henri Laaksonen.
The world number 344, who previously played for Finland, leveled the
tie at 2-2 with a 6-3 3-6 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-1 win over Steve Darcis, a
player ranked 242 places higher.
For the second time in three days, the remarkable Laaksonen fought
back to prevail in a five-setter.
Switzerland's hopes, though, were extinguished in the deciding
rubber when David Goffin, the world number 21 who was rested on
Friday because of concerns over a back injury, proved too good for
number 321 Adrien Bossel and won 6-4 6-0 6-4.
For the second year running Andy Murray led Britain to a first-round
victory over the United States when he beat John Isner 7-6 (4) 6-3
7-6 (4) in Glasgow.
The former Wimbledon champion survived some early scares against the
big-serving American before taking charge to steer Britain into an
unassailable 3-1 lead.
HOME TIE
In the quarter-finals they face a home tie against France who beat
Germany with a day to spare.
"It's been incredible the whole week. To be in the quarter-finals
for the second time in a row is a credit to everyone," said world
number five Murray who reveled in front of a Scottish crowd.
Isner, beaten in five sets by British number two James Ward on
Friday, had three set points in the opener but could not convert and
despite some fierce resistance in the third set he could not keep
the 32-times champions alive.
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Italy, who beat Britain in the quarter-finals last year, went down
to Kazakhstan in Astana where Aleksandr Nedovyesov, ranked 130th in
the world, stunned number 22 Fabio Fognini in five sets to seal a
3-2 victory.
Kazakhstan next travel to former Davis Cup heavyweights Australia
who enjoyed a 3-1 victory over 2012 and 2013 winners Czech Republic
in Ostrava, Bernard Tomic clinching the win with a 7-6 (4) 6-3 7-6
(5) triumph over Lukas Rosol.
Australia are through to the last eight for the first time since
2006.
World number one Novak Djokovic's Serbia crushed Croatia 5-0 and
next take on Argentina or Brazil.
Leonardo Mayer kept Argentina in the tie against Brazil in Buenos
Aires with a five-set win over Joao Souza in a match that set a
competition singles record by lasting six hours and 42 minutes.
With the tie at 2-2, Argentina go into a fourth day on Monday with
Federico Delbonis leading Thomaz Bellucci 6-3 in the deciding rubber
after bad light ended play.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Ian Chadband and Rex Gowar, editing by
Justin Palmer/Peter Rutherford)
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