Murray to meet Del Potro in Davis Cup semi-final opener

Andy Murray will take on former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the opening match of defending champions Great Britain’s Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina in Glasgow on Friday.

Murray, the world number two, will play Del Potro at 13:00 BST, followed by Kyle Edmund against Guido Pella.

Del Potro, ranked 64th in the world as he makes his way back from injury, lost to Murray in August’s Olympic final.

Andy and Jamie Murray will play together in Saturday’s doubles match.

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Andy Murray will miss his paternal grandfather’s funeral on Friday to play on the opening day, with his brother Jamie expected to attend the funeral.

The brothers are set to take on Federico Delbonis and Leonardo Mayer on Saturday, although team captains can change their nominations up to one hour before the start of play.

GB captain Leon Smith left doubles specialist Dom Inglot out of his final four to give himself another singles option for Sunday’s final matches in Dan Evans.

Britain are attempting to retain the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936, having won the tournament for the first time in 79 years in 2015.

Croatia host France in Zadar in the other semi-final.

Murray and Del Potro are the headline names in the Glasgow tie but meet on day one because the Argentine is the second-ranked singles player in their team following three wrist surgeries.

De Potro, 27, who won the 2009 US Open, beat Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Games in Rio before losing a four-hour final to Murray, and then reached the last eight in this year’s US Open.

Edmund, 21, was selected ahead of Evans as Britain’s second singles player after rising to 55th in the world and reaching the fourth round at the US Open.

He has played Pella, the world number 49, once before, with the 26-year-old Argentine winning in three sets at Indian Wells this year.

BBC SPORT