2018 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND 2-4 FEBRUARY TIE PREVIEW NOTES

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1 2018 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND 2-4 FEBRUARY TIE PREVIEW NOTES France (s) (c) v Netherlands Albertville, FRA hard (indoors) Japan (c)* v Italy (s) Morioka, JPN hard (indoors) Spain (c) v Great Britain (s) Marbella, ESP clay (outdoors) Australia (s) (c) v Germany Brisbane, AUS hard (outdoors) Kazakhstan (c) v Switzerland (s) Astana, KAZ hard (indoors) Croatia (s) (c)* v Canada Osijek, CRO clay (indoors) Serbia (s) (c) v USA Nis, SRB clay (indoors) Belgium (s) (c)** v Hungary Liege, BEL hard (indoors) (s) = seed; (c) = choice of ground; * choice of ground was decided by lot ** As a finalist in 2017, Belgium was entitled to play at home in the 2018 first round. It chose to exercise this right, despite having also hosted its last meeting with Hungary (in 1990). Hungary will have choice of ground for the next two ties between the two nations. CHOICE OF GROUND WORLD GROUP QUARTERFINALS The winners of this weekend s ties advance to the quarterfinals on 6-8 April. Below is the choice of ground for all potential quarterfinal match-ups. The venue details are due to be submitted to the ITF by 19 February. JAPAN ITALY FRANCE FRA ITA NETHERLANDS JPN* ITA AUSTRALIA GERMANY SPAIN ESP ESP GREAT BRITAIN AUS GBR CROATIA CANADA KAZAKHSTAN CRO* CAN* SWITZERLAND CRO* CAN* BELGIUM HUNGARY SERBIA SRB SRB USA USA USA* * choice of ground was decided by lot The losing nations in this weekend s ties will compete in September s World Group play-offs, the draw for which is on Tuesday 10 April. 1

2 PAST CHAMPIONS In total, 15 nations have won the Davis Cup. USA 32 Australia 28 France/Great Britain 10 Sweden 7 Spain 5 Germany 3 Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic 3 Russia 2 Argentina, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland 1 ALL FIVE TO FIVE Only twice have all 5 rubbers of a Davis Cup tie gone to 5 sets: 1946 European Zone semifinal, Yugoslavia defeated France 3-2 and 2003 World Group play-off, Romania defeated Ecuador 3-2. COMEBACKS FROM 0-2 DOWN There have been just 10 comebacks from 0-2 down in World Group ties. Sweden has produced 4 of these comebacks. Croatia recorded the most recent one, defeating USA in Portland in the quarterfinals in In the Davis Cup overall there have been 58 comebacks from 0-2 down since the competition began in TOP TIEBREAKS The highest number of tiebreaks in a Davis Cup tie is 11 (Croatia d. Brazil 4-1, 2008 World Group play-off). PARTICIPATING NATIONS 133 nations have entered the 2018 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. DAVIS CUP NATIONS RANKING The ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking was launched at the end of It is published following every tie weekend and measures success over the preceding 4-year period, with recent performances weighted more heavily. It is the sole criteria for seeding at all levels of Davis Cup competition. Latest Davis Cup Nations Ranking (27 November 2017) 1 France 11 Spain 2 Argentina 12 Czech Republic 3 Belgium 13 Kazakhstan 4 Great Britain 14 Germany 5 Croatia 15 Canada 6 Australia 16 Japan 7 Serbia 17 Netherlands 8 Switzerland 18 Hungary 9 Italy 19 Russia 10 USA 20 India 2

3 DAVIS CUP RECORDS Most Games in a Tie (post-tiebreak*) World Group 275: France d. Switzerland 3-2, 2001 quarterfinal Davis Cup 281: Romania d. Ecuador 3-2, 2003 WG play-off Most Games in a Tie (pre-tiebreak*) 281: Paraguay d. France 3-2, 1985 first round 327: India d. Australia 3-2, 1974 Eastern Zone Final Longest recorded playing-time (tie) Longest singles rubber Longest doubles rubber 21 hours, 2 minutes: France d. Switzerland 3-2, 2001 quarterfinal 6 hours, 43 minutes: Leonardo Mayer (ARG) d. Joao Souza (BRA), 2015 first round 7 hours, 1 minute: Berdych/Rosol (CZE) d. Chiudinelli/Wawrinka (SUI), 2013 first round 21 hours, 37 minutes: Romania d. Ecuador 3-2, 2003 WG play-off see World Group see World Group Fewest number of games conceded in a tie 26: Germany d. Indonesia 5-0, 1989 first round 6: Sri Lanka d. Syria 1991 Asia/Oceania II, first round Longest tiebreak* 16-14: Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) d. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI), 2016 first round 19-17: Young-Jun Kim (KOR) d. Aqeel Khan (PAK), 2003 Asia/Oceania Zone Group I *the tiebreak was introduced in Davis Cup in 1989 and the 5th set tiebreak was introduced in 2016 For further details see NEW FOR 2018 Following a recent change to the Davis Cup regulations, the two finalists in Davis Cup are now guaranteed the choice of hosting their first round tie in the following year. Additionally, the ITF Board of Directors has approved the following changes to be trialled during the 2018 competition: The introduction of five-man teams in the 2018 World Group and Zone Groups I and II Amendments to the dead rubber policy across the World Group and Zone Groups I and II now mean that no fifth rubber will be played if the fourth rubber is decisive, the same as the current rule for the Davis Cup Final. In the World Group, only the fourth rubber will be played if the score is 3-0. The fourth rubber will be best-of-three tiebreak sets. 3

4 France v Netherlands Albertville, FRA hard (indoors) Head-to-head: France leads Netherlands 10-0 An 11th meeting for 2 nations which first met 93 years ago. France won the nations most recent meeting in a 2009 World Group play-off, on clay in Maastricht, claiming victory when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Thiemo de Bakker in the 4th rubber and both players are nominated again this weekend. This is the nations first meeting on a hard court, having previously contested all their clashes on either clay or carpet. FRANCE v NETHERLANDS 1 Current DC Nations Ranking 17 Champion 10 times World Group Best Result (most recent 2017) semifinals First year played Years played (incl 2018) Years in World Group (incl 2018) Ties played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 2 Defending champion FRANCE is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 9th straight year. Last year, France equalled Great Britain in 3rd place on the list for most Davis Cup titles after winning the title for the 10th time. The team defeated Belgium 3-2 in the Final in Lille, having beaten Japan 4-1 in Tokyo in the first round, Great Britain 4-1 in Rouen in the quarterfinals and Serbia 3-1 in Lille in the semifinals. It was the first time France had won the title since defeating Australia in Melbourne in 2001, and ended a streak of 3 Final appearances (2002, 2010 and 2014) where it had finished runner-up. France is bidding to record 5 straight wins in the competition for the first time since , when it recorded 8 consecutive victories including its title victory in 2001 before falling to Russia in the 2002 Final. France has won 7 of its last 8 home ties. Its only loss in that time came in the 2014 Final when the team fell to Switzerland 3-1. France has won 6 of its last 7 ties. Its only loss in that time came in the 2016 World Group semifinals when the team fell to Croatia 3-2 in Zadar. Only France and USA have won a Davis Cup Final on all four surfaces (grass, clay, hard and carpet). France has only twice been absent from the World Group since its inception in Its 36 years in the World Group is joint-2nd with Czech Republic on the list for most years in the World Group, behind USA (37). France is regained the No. 1 ranking for the first time since July 2004 after winning its 10th title in November. It is one of 8 nations to have held the No. 1 ranking, alongside Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Russia and Spain. If France wins this weekend it will host Japan or travel to Italy in the World Group quarterfinals. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is bidding to enter the Top 10 on the list for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Frenchman this weekend. He will equal Marcel Bernard and Robert Haillet in joint-10th place on the list if he wins 2 rubbers this weekend, and will claim sole ownership of 10th place if he wins 3 rubbers. He has a 21-8 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a 6-1 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles. 4

5 Most Davis Cup match-wins by a Frenchman 1. Pierre Darmon Henri Cochet Francois Jauffret Henri Leconte Rene Lacoste Yannick Noah Guy Forget Jean Borotra Paul Remy = Marcel Bernard Robert Haillet Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 27-9 Lucas Pouille won the decisive 5th rubber in the 2017 Final, defeating Belgium s Steve Darcis in straight sets. He has a 4-3 win-loss record in the competition overall. Richard Gasquet has won 5 of his last 6 Davis Cup rubbers. Since falling to Roger Federer in the 2014 Final, his only defeat in the competition came against Marin Cilic in the 4th rubber of France s 3-2 defeat to Croatia in the 2016 World Group semifinals. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut could record their 4th Davis Cup doubles victory as a pair. Their only defeat together in the competition came against Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig in France s 3-2 defeat to Croatia in the 2016 semifinals. Captain Yannick Noah became the 4th man to captain a nation to the Davis Cup title on 3 or more occasions in 2017, having also captained France to victory in 1991 (d. USA) and 1996 (d. Sweden). Noah began his 3rd spell as French captain at the beginning of the 2016 season, having previously captained the team in and He has a 6-1 win-loss record as captain since 2016 and an 18-5 win-loss record as captain overall. NETHERLANDS is making its first World Group appearance since 2014 and is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since Last year, Netherlands won promotion from Europe/Africa Zone Group I after recovering from 0-2 down to defeat Czech Republic 3-2 in the World Group play-offs in The Hague. Earlier in the year, the team defeated Bosnia/Herzegovina 3-1 in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round in Zenica. Netherlands is bidding to win 4 consecutive ties and record its longest-ever Davis Cup winning streak. It has not lost a tie since falling to Russia in the 2016 Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round. Netherlands best Davis Cup performance is reaching the World Group semifinals in 2001 the team defeated Spain and Germany before falling to eventual champion France in the last 4. Netherlands is contesting an away tie for the 6th time in its last 7 ties, with its only home tie in that time coming in the World Group play-offs last year. It played 5 consecutive away ties prior to then. Netherlands is ranked at No. 17 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking 10 places below its best ranking of No. 7, which is held between December 2001 and February If Netherlands wins this weekend it will travel to either Italy or Japan in the World Group quarterfinals. Robin Haase has a Davis Cup win-loss record and is 2nd place on the all-time list for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Dutch player, behind Hendrik Timmer (43) but above current captain Paul Haarhuis (31). Haase is also in 2nd place on the list for most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Dutch player he has a win-loss record in Davis Cup singles, behind Timmer (32-15). 5

6 Thiemo De Bakker defeated Lukas Rosol in the decisive 5th rubber in Netherlands 3-2 victory against Czech Republic in the World Group play-offs last year. He has a win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a win-loss record in the competition overall. Jean-Julien Rojer is contesting his 40th Davis Cup tie this weekend. He has represented Netherlands since 2012 and has an 8-2 win-loss record in the competition for Netherlands. He represented Netherlands Antilles from , and has a overall win-loss in the competition. Tallon Griekspoor could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend after being nominated for the 3rd time. He was nominated for both the Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round tie against Bosnia/Herzegovina and the World Group play-off tie against Czech Republic in 2017 but did not play in either tie. 6

7 Japan v Italy Morioka, JPN hard (indoors) Head-to-head: Italy leads 2-0 A 3rd meeting for the 2 nations but their first since the 1930s. Italy recorded a 3-2 victory on clay in Genoa in 1930 before claiming another 3-2 victory in Milan 2 years later. JAPAN v ITALY 16 Current DC Nations Ranking 9 Runner-up 1921 Best Result Champion First Year Played Years played (incl 2018) 88 8 Years in World Group (incl 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 2 JAPAN is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the 2nd time. Last year, Japan fell to France 4-1 in Tokyo in the first round before defeating Brazil 3-1 in the World Group play-offs in Osaka. Japan s best Davis Cup result is finishing runner-up in 1921, falling 5-0 to USA in New York. Its best World Group result is reaching the quarterfinals in Japan is playing at home for the 13th time in its last 16 Davis Cup ties. It contested 9 consecutive home ties from July 2011 through to April Japan goes into this weekend s tie ranked No. 16 on the Davis Cup Nations Ranking 4 places lower than its highest-ever ranking of No. 12, which it reached for the first time in September If Japan wins this weekend it will travel to France or host Netherlands in the World Group quarterfinals. Yuichi Sugita contested his first live singles rubbers since 2011 in Japan s World Group play-off victory against Brazil in September, defeating both Guilherme Clezar and Thiago Monteiro in straight sets. He has a 7-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and an 8-9 win-loss record in the competition overall. Go Soeda is bidding to climb the list for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Japanese player this weekend. He could join Takeichi Harada in 4th place on the list if he wins one rubber, equal Tsuyoshi Fukui and Koji Watanabe in joint-2nd place if he wins 2 rubbers, and claim sole ownership of 2nd place if he wins 3 rubbers. Most Davis Cup match-wins by a Japanese player 1. Takao Suzuki = Tsuyoshi Fukui Koji Watanabe Takeichi Harada Go Soeda Taro Daniel is bidding to win his 3rd live rubber for Japan this weekend. His only victories in live rubbers came in the decisive 5th rubber of Japan s 3-2 victory against Colombia in the 2015 World Group play-offs (d. Alejandro Falla) and in the 1st rubber of Japan s 5-0 victory against Ukraine in the 2016 World Group play-offs (d. Sergiy Stakhovsky). He has a 3-5 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and has never contested a doubles rubber in the competition. Yasutaka Uchiyama has never played a live singles rubber for Japan. He has a 2-1 win-loss record in the 3 dead singles rubbers he has contested and a 2-7 win-loss record in doubles. 7 Australian Open men s doubles semifinalist Ben McLachlan could make his 2nd Davis Cup appearance this weekend, having made his debut in Japan s World Group play-off victory against Brazil in September.

8 ITALY is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 3rd straight year. Last year, Italy defeated defending champion Argentina 3-2 in Buenos Aires in the World Group first round before falling to Belgium 3-2 in Charleroi in the quarterfinals. Italy has lost 5 of its last 6 ties on a hard court. Its only win in that time came in a 4-1 victory against Russia in the 2014 World Group play-offs. Italy was crowned Davis Cup champion in 1976 (d. Chile), and has finished as runner-up on 6 further occasions. Italy's Nicola Pietrangeli is the leading all-time Davis Cup player. He holds the record for playing the most rubbers (164), as well as the records for the most wins in both singles (78-32) and doubles (42-12). He also forms half of the most successful doubles partnership with Orlando Sirola (34-8). Italy is ranked No. 9 on the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking. Its best ranking is No. 6, attained in April If Italy wins this weekend it will host either France or Netherlands in the World Group quarterfinals. Fabio Fognini could reach 25 Davis Cup match-wins if he wins a rubber this weekend. He would be just the 12th Italian man to record 25 Davis Cup wins. He has a overall win-loss record in the competition and has competed for his nation every year since Paolo Lorenzi won the longest tiebreak in World Group history during his victory against Marco Chiudinelli in the opening rubber of Italy s first round win against Switzerland in Lorenzi won the first set after a 30-point tiebreak before going on to win 76(14) He has a 5-5 win-loss record in Davis Cup rubbers. Andreas Seppi is competing in Davis Cup for the 13th year, putting him joint-3rd on the list for most years played by an Italian player, along with current captain Corrado Barazzutti. Only Pietrangeli (18 years played) and Adriano Panatta (14) have played more Davis Cup years for Italy. Simone Bolelli has won 5 of the last 6 Davis Cup doubles rubbers he has contested. His only defeat in that time came in Italy s 3-2 victory against Argentina in the World Group first round last year, where Bolelli and Fognini fell to Carlos Berlocq/Leonardo Mayer in 5 sets. He has an 11-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles and an win-loss record in the competition overall. Thomas Fabbiano could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend, having been nominated for the first time. 8

9 Spain v Great Britain Marbella, ESP clay (outdoors) Head-to-head: Great Britain leads 8-5 A 14th meeting for the 2 nations, but their first in over 30 years. Great Britain won the nations last 3 encounters on grass in Eastbourne in 1979, on clay in Barcelona in 1982 and on carpet in Telford in Spain and Great Britain first met 97 years ago at the London Country Club in a 1921 first round clash. SPAIN v GREAT BRITAIN 11 Current DC Nations Ranking 4 Champion 5 times Champion 10 times Best Result (most recent 2011) (most recent 2015) 1921 First Year Played Years Played (inc 2018) Years in World Group (inc 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 2 SPAIN is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 2nd straight year and just the 2nd time since Last year, Spain reached the quarterfinals on its first appearance in the World Group since The team defeated Croatia 3-2 in Osijek in the first round before losing to Serbia 4-1 in the quarterfinals. Spain has won 27 of its last 28 ties on clay. Its defeat to Brazil in the 2014 World Group play-offs the last time it played a tie on clay was the team s first defeat on a clay court since 1999, when it fell in the World Group first round, also against Brazil. Spain has been crowned Davis Cup champion 5 times since 2000, having never previously won the title. It lifted the trophy in 2000 (d. Australia 3-1), 2004 (d. USA 3-2), 2008 (d. Argentina 3-1), 2009 (d. Czech Republic 5-0) and 2011 (d. Argentina 3-1). Spain is currently No. 11 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking having dropped as low as No. 17 in It is one of 8 nations to have ranked at No. 1 since the rankings were introduced in 2001, alongside Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain and Russia. If Spain wins this weekend it will host either Australia or Germany in the World Group quarterfinals. Pablo Carreno Busta has won just one of the 4 live rubbers he has contested the decisive 5th rubber in Spain s first round victory against Croatia last year (d. Nikola Mektic). He has a 2-3 win-loss record in the competition overall. Roberto Bautista Agut is bidding to extend a 5-match winning streak in the competition. He is unbeaten in Davis Cup rubbers since falling to Thomaz Bellucci in Spain s 3-1 defeat to Brazil in the 2014 World Group play-offs. He has a 6-3 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and has never contested a doubles rubber in the competition. Albert Ramos-Vinolas is bidding to record his first victory in a live rubber this weekend. His only victories in the competition have come in dead rubbers. This is his 3rd appearance for Spain, having made his debut in the 2013 World Group first round against Canada but not featured again until the quarterfinals against Serbia last year. David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez are 2 of the 4 active players, along with compatriots Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, to have won 3 Davis Cup titles. Both Ferrer and Lopez were members of the Spanish teams that won the Davis Cup title in 2008, 2009 and Ferrer is contesting his 20th Davis Cup tie this weekend, while Lopez will become just the 6th Spanish player to appear in 25 or more Davis Cup ties if he plays this weekend. GREAT BRITAIN is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 5th straight year. 9

10 Last year, Great Britain advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Canada 3-2 in Ottawa in the first round. It fell to France 4-1 in the last 8 in Rouen. In 2015, Great Britain won the Davis Cup title for the first time since 1936 in its first Final appearance since 1978 after defeating Belgium 3-1 in the Final in Ghent. It was its 10th Davis Cup title. Great Britain and France are in joint-3rd place on the list for most Davis Cup titles behind USA (32) and Australia (28). Great Britain has won 4 of its last 6 ties on clay. Its only defeats on clay in that time came against Italy in the 2014 World Group quarterfinals in Naples and against France in the quarterfinals last year. Great Britain is the only nation that has competed in all the editions of the Davis Cup since Great Britain is ranked No. 4 on the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking. Its best ranking is No. 1 which it attained for the first time after winning the title in If Great Britain wins this weekend it will either travel to Australia or host Germany in the World Group quarterfinals. Kyle Edmund has won 2 of the 5 Davis Cup rubbers he has contested on clay, with both victories coming in Great Britain s 3-2 victory against Serbia in the 2016 World Group quarterfinals, when he defeated both Janko Tipsarevic and Dusan Lajovic in straight sets. Edmund is also one of only 6 players to make their Davis Cup debuts in a Final since the Challenge Round was abolished in 1972 and one of only 8 players to win both the Davis Cup (2015) and Junior Davis Cup (2011) titles. Jamie Murray has won 7 of his last 8 Davis Cup doubles rubbers, with his only loss in that time coming in Great Britain s defeat to France in the quarterfinals last year when he and Dominic Inglot fell to Julien Benneteau/Nicolas Mahut in 4 sets. He has an 11-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles rubbers overall. Dominic Inglot is competing in his 6th Davis Cup tie this weekend. He has a 2-3 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles. Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady could make their Davis Cup debuts this weekend, with both having been nominated for the first time. 10

11 Australia v Germany Brisbane, AUS hard (outdoors) Head-to-head: Australia leads 4-3 An 8th meeting for the 2 nations, but their first on a hard court. They have previously contested 4 ties on grass, all of which were won by Australia, and 3 ties on clay, all of which were won by Germany. The Germans won the nations most recent encounter a 3-2 World Group play-off victory in Hamburg in AUSTRALIA v GERMANY 6 Current DC Nations Ranking 14 Champion 28 times Champions , Best Result (most recent 2003) First Year Played Years Played (inc 2018) Years in World Group (inc 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 1 AUSTRALIA is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. Its only defeat in a World Group first round tie in that time came in 2016, when it fell to USA in Melbourne. Last year, Australia reached the semifinals, where it fell to Belgium 3-2 in Brussels. It defeated Czech Republic 4-1 in Melbourne and USA 3-2 in Brisbane in the opening 2 rounds. Australia has played 5 of its last 6 ties at home (including this weekend). Its only away tie in that time came in last year s World Group semifinal defeat to Belgium. It has won its 3 most recent home ties. Australia has won 6 of its last 7 ties on hard courts. Since falling to Belgium in the 2010 World Group play-offs on a hard court in Cairns, its only defeat on a hard court came against Great Britain in the 2015 semifinals in Glasgow. Captain Lleyton Hewitt is Australia s most successful player, with a total win-loss record of and a singles win-loss record of Hewitt has also played the most ties for Australia, with 42 over 18 years. Australia is ranked No. 6 on the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. It is one of only 8 nations, alongside Argentina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Russia and Spain to have been ranked No. 1 since the Davis Cup Nations Ranking was introduced in If Australia wins this weekend it will either host Great Britain or travel to Spain in the World Group quarterfinals. Nick Kyrgios has won 5 of his last 6 Davis Cup rubbers. His only defeat in that time came against Belgium s David Goffin in the World Group semifinals last year. He has an 8-5 win-loss record in the competition overall. Jordan Thompson is contesting his 4th Davis Cup tie this weekend, having made his debut in the World Group first round last year. He has a 4-1 win-loss record in the competition, with his only defeat coming in the decisive 5th rubber of Australia s 2017 semifinal loss to Belgium, falling to Steve Darcis in straight sets. John Millman has been nominated for the 2nd time, having made his debut in the World Group semifinals against Belgium last year. He lost the opening rubber to David Goffin in 4 sets the only match he has contested in the competition so far. John Peers has been nominated for the 6th straight tie. He has a 3-2 win-loss record in the competition with his 2 losses to USA s Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan in the 2016 World Group first round and USA s Steve Johnson/Jack Sock in the 2017 World Group quarterfinals both coming in 5 sets. Alex de Minaur could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend, having been nominated for the first time. 11

12 GERMANY is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since It has fallen in the World Group first round in each of the last 3 years. Last year, Germany fell to Belgium 4-1 in Frankfurt in the World Group first round, before defeating Portugal 3-2 in Oeiras, Lisbon in the World Group play-offs to maintain its World Group status. Germany has lost 4 of its last 5 hard court ties. Its only victory on hard court in that time came in the 2015 World Group play-offs, when it defeated Dominican Republic 4-1 in Santo Domingo. Germany is bidding to win back-to-back ties for the first time since , when it defeated Brazil in the 2013 World Group play-offs and then Spain in the 2014 World Group first round. Germany has been absent from the World Group on just 3 occasions (1983, ). Germany has won 3 Davis Cup titles, the most recent in It also won the title in , one of only 7 successful defences of the Davis Cup since the World Group began in Germany goes into this weekend s tie ranked No. 14 on the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking 9 places below its best ranking of No. 5, which it first achieved in December If Germany wins this weekend, it will travel to either Spain or Great Britain in the World Group quarterfinals. World No. 5 Alexander Zverev is contesting just his 3rd Davis Cup tie this weekend. He has a 1-4 win-loss record in the competition, with his only win coming against Arthur de Greef in the 2nd rubber of Germany s World Group first round defeat to Belgium last year. Jan-Lennard Struff contested 3 of the 5 rubbers in Germany s World Group play-off victory against Portugal in September. He fell in the 2nd rubber to Pedro Sousa, but won the doubles rubber in 5 sets alongside Tim Puetz before defeating Joao Sousa in the 4th rubber, also in 5 sets. He has a 5-2 win-loss record in the competition overall. Peter Gojowcyzk is making his 2nd Davis Cup appearance this weekend and his first since 2014, when he played in Germany s 3-2 World Group first round defeat to France. He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 5 sets in the 2nd rubber but fell to Gael Monfils in straight sets in the decisive 5th rubber. Tim Puetz is also making his 2nd Davis Cup appearance this weekend, having made his debut in Germany s victory against Portugal in the World Group play-offs last year. He won the doubles rubber alongside Struff, defeating Gastao Elias/Joao Sousa in 5 sets. 12

13 Kazakhstan v Switzerland Astana, KAZ hard (indoors) Head-to-head: Tied 1-1 A 3rd meeting for the 2 nations and their 2nd at Astana s National Tennis Centre. The Kazakhs won 5-0 when the nations contested a World Group play-off at this venue in 2010, but the Swiss hit back in the 2014 World Group quarterfinals, coming from 1-2 down to win 3-2 in their title-winning year. KAZAKHSTAN v SWITZERLAND 13 Current DC Nations Ranking 8 World Group QF 2011, Best Result 2014 Champion 1995 First Year Played Years Played (inc 2018) 89 7 Years in World Group (inc 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 0 KAZAKHSTAN is bidding reach the World Group quarterfinals for the 5th time and equal its best Davis Cup performance. Last year, Kazakhstan won promotion back to the World Group after defeating China, P.R. 4-1 in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I second round before defeating defending champion Argentina 3-2 in the World Group play-offs. Kazakhstan is contesting the World Group for the 7th time in the last 8 years, having been relegated just once since it first contested the World Group in Its 6-year spell in the World Group was brought to an end with relegation in 2016, when it fell to Russia in the World Group play-offs. Kazakhstan is bidding to win 3 straight ties for the first time since , when it won 5 consecutive ties from the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I relegation play-off in 2009 before winning promotion to the World Group in 2010 and reaching the World Group quarterfinals in Kazakhstan is looking to extend its 4-tie winning streak at home, having not lost a home tie since it fell to Czech Republic in the 2013 World Group quarterfinals in Astana. Kazakhstan s best Davis Cup result is reaching the World Group quarterfinals on 4 occasions in 2011 (l. Argentina), 2013 (l. Czech Republic), 2014 (l. this weekend s opponents) and 2015 (l. Australia). Prior to 1995, players from Kazakhstan represented the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan is ranked No. 13 on the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. Its highest ranking is No. 7 achieved in February If Kazakhstan wins this weekend, it will travel to either Croatia or Canada in the World Group quarterfinals. Mikhail Kukushkin could tie Andrey Golubev in joint-2nd place on the list for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Kazakh player if he wins 3 rubbers this weekend. Kukushkin became just the 3rd Kazakh player to record 20 Davis Cup match-wins in Kazakhstan s World Group play-off victory against Argentina in September. He has a singles win-loss record and a 0-1 doubles win-loss record in the competition. Most Davis Cup match-wins by a Kazakh player 1. Alexey Kedryuk Andrey Golubev Mikhail Kukushkin Pavel Baranov Igor Chaldounov

14 Aleksandr Nedovyesov could record his first Davis Cup singles match-win since he defeated Nick Kyrgios in Kazakhstan s 3-2 defeat to Australia in the 2015 World Group quarterfinals this weekend. Nedovyesov has a 2-6 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a 6-9 win-loss record in the competition overall. Dmitry Popko is contesting his 3rd Davis Cup tie this weekend, having made his debut in Kazakhstan s Asia/Oceania Zone Group I victory against China, P.R. last year. He has a 2-1 win-loss record in the competition. Timur Khabibulin could play his 2nd Davis Cup rubber this weekend, having been nominated for the 2nd time. He won the doubles rubber alongside Nedovyesov in Kazakhstan s World Group play-off tie victory against Argentina last year. Roman Khassanov could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend, having been nominated for the first time. SWITZERLAND is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since its title-winning year in Last year, Switzerland lost to USA 5-0 in the World Group first round in Birmingham, Alabama, before defeating Belarus 3-2 in the World Group play-offs in Biel. It has fallen in the first round every year since winning the title. Switzerland won its first Davis Cup title in 2014, becoming the 14th nation to lift the trophy after defeating France 3-1 in the Final in Lille. Switzerland is bidding to win back-to-back ties for the first time since , when it won 5 straight ties from the 2013 World Group play-offs through the 2014 Final. Switzerland has lost 3 of its last 4 away ties. Since winning away in France in 2014, its only victory in an away tie came in the 2016 World Group play-offs, when it defeated Uzbekistan 3-2 in Tashkent. Switzerland s leading all-time Davis Cup player in terms of total wins is Roger Federer with 52 wins. He overtook Jakob Hlasek s 49 wins by winning the decisive singles rubber in the 2014 Final. Switzerland is ranked No. 8 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. Its highest-ranking is No. 2, which it reached after winning the title in November If Switzerland wins this weekend, it will travel to either Croatia or Canada in the World Group quarterfinals. Henri Laaksonen is contesting his 9th Davis Cup tie this weekend. He has a 7-5 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles rubbers. 3 of his 5 victories in live singles rubbers have come in 5-sets. He has an 8-7 win-loss record in the competition overall. Antoine Bellier is bidding to win his 2nd Davis Cup rubber this weekend. His only win in the competition came in the decisive 5th rubber of Switzerland s 2016 World Group play-off victory against Uzbekistan, when he defeated Jurabek Karimov in 4 sets. Adrian Bodmer and Luca Margaroli are both contesting their 2nd Davis Cup ties this weekend, having both made their debuts in Switzerland s World Group play-off victory against Belarus last year. The pair played the doubles rubber together, falling to Max Mirnyi/Andrei Vasilevski in straight sets. Marc-Andrea Huesler could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend, having been nominated for the first time. 14

15 Croatia v Canada Osijek, CRO clay (indoors) Head-to-head: first meeting CROATIA v CANADA 5 Current DC Nations Ranking 15 Champion 2005 Best Result Semifinalist 1913, First Year Played Years Played (inc 2018) Years in World Group (inc 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 1 CROATIA is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for just the 2nd year since Its only appearance in the last 8 in that time was during its run to the Final in Last year, Croatia fell to Spain 3-2 in the World Group first round in Osijek, but defeated Colombia 4-1 in Bogota in the World Group play-offs to maintain its World Group status. Croatia is bidding to extend its 4-tie winning streak on clay. It has not lost a tie played on clay since falling to Great Britain in the 2013 World Group play-offs in Umag. Croatia has lost 5 of its last 6 home ties. Its only victory on home soil in that time came in the 2016 World Group semifinals, when it defeated France 3-2 in Zadar. The team contested just one home tie between September 2011 and September 2016, a 2013 World Group play-off defeat to Great Britain in Umag. Croatia won the title unseeded in 2005 in its only other appearance in the Final, defeating Slovakia 3-2 in Bratislava after Mario Ancic won the deciding rubber. It was the first time that an unseeded nation had won the Davis Cup since the introduction of the World Group in Serbia (2010), Switzerland (2014) and Great Britain (2015) have since also won the title unseeded. Croatia is currently ranked No. 5 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. It is one of 8 nations to rank No. 1 since the rankings were introduced in 2001 (alongside Argentina, Australia, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Russia and Spain). Croatia was ranked No. 1 between November 2005 and September If Croatia wins this weekend, it will host either Kazakhstan or Switzerland in the World Group quarterfinals. Marin Cilic could equal Ivan Ljubicic s record for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Croatian player if he wins 3 rubbers this weekend. By winning both his singles rubbers in Croatia s World Group play-off victory against Colombia last year, Cilic claimed the record for most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Croatian player. He has a win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a 9-6 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles. Most Davis Cup match-wins by a Croatian player 1. Ivan Ljubicic = Marin Cilic Goran Ivanisevic Mario Ancic Ivo Karlovic Borna Coric makes his first Davis Cup appearance since the 2016 World Group semifinals this weekend. He has a 5-6 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and has never contested a doubles rubber in the competition. 15

16 Viktor Galovic could contest his first live Davis Cup rubber this weekend. He made his debut in Croatia s World Group play-off victory against Colombia last year, defeating Alejandro Gonzalez in the dead 5th rubber. Franko Skugor contested his first live singles rubbers in He defeated Pablo Carreno Busta but lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the World Group first round, and fell to Santiago Giraldo in the World Group playoffs. He has a 3-4 win-loss record in the competition overall. Ivan Dodig is contesting his first tie since the 2016 Final and is bidding to extend a 5-match winning streak in Davis Cup doubles rubbers. He has not lost a doubles rubber in the competition since he and Mate Pavic fell to Colin Fleming/Andy Murray in Croatia s 2013 World Group play-off defeat to Great Britain. CANADA is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since Last year, Canada fell 3-2 to Great Britain in the World Group first round in Ottawa, before defeating India 3-2 in the World Group play-offs in Edmonton. Canada is bidding to end a 4-tie losing streak away from home. It has not won an away tie since defeating Israel 3-2 in the 2011 World Group play-offs in Ramat Hasharon. Canada is also aiming to end a 3-tie losing streak on clay. It has not won a tie on clay since defeating Ecuador 3-2 in the 2011 Americas Zone Group I second round in Guayaquil. Canada s best Davis Cup performance is reaching its first World Group semifinal in 2013, defeating fivetime champions Spain 3-2 in the first round in Vancouver for its first ever World Group win, and Italy 3-1 in the quarterfinals in Vancouver. It then lost to Serbia 3-2 in the semifinals in Belgrade. Canada goes into this weekend s tie at No. 15 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. It reached its highestever ranking of No. 6 in February If Canada wins this weekend, it will host either Kazakhstan or Switzerland in the World Group quarterfinals. Daniel Nestor is the most successful player in Canadian Davis Cup history in terms of total wins (48), doubles wins (33), ties played (51) and years played (24). Denis Shapovalov is bidding to win his 3rd live rubber this weekend, having won his first live rubbers in Canada s World Group play-off victory against India last year. He has a 3-2 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles overall and is yet to contest a doubles rubber in the competition. Vasek Pospisil has won 4 of his last 5 Davis Cup singles rubbers. His only defeat in that time came against Gilles Simon in Canada s 2016 World Group first round defeat to France. He has a 9-9 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a win-loss record in the competition overall. Peter Polansky is making his first Davis Cup appearance in 4 years this weekend, having not appeared in the competition since Canada s 2014 World Group first round defeat to Japan. He has not won a live rubber in the competition since 2010, when he defeated Jhonson Garcia in Canada s 5-0 victory against Dominican Republic in the Americas Zone Group I second round relegation play-off. Playing captain Frank Dancevic is second only to Nestor on the list for most ties played (24) and most years played (14) in Canadian Davis Cup history. He has a win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a 3-1 win-loss record in Davis Cup doubles. 16

17 Serbia v USA Nis, SRB clay (indoors) Head-to-head: Serbia leads 2-0 A 3rd meeting for the 2 nations, with the Serbians having won both of their previous encounters on clay in Belgrade in the 2010 World Group first round and on hard court in Boise, Idaho in the 2013 World Group quarterfinals. SERBIA v USA 7 Current DC Nations Ranking 10 Champion 2010 Best Result Champion 32 times (most recent 2007) 1995 First Year Played Years Played (inc 2018) Years in World Group (inc 2018) Ties Played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down 1 17 SERBIA is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the 4th straight year. Last year, Serbia reached the World Group semifinals after defeating Russia 4-1 in Nis in the first round and Spain 4-1 in Belgrade in the quarterfinals, before falling to France 3-1 in the semifinals in Lille. Serbia is bidding to record its first tie-win on clay since 2013, when it defeated Canada in the World Group semifinals on an indoor clay court in Belgrade. It has lost all 3 of its ties on clay since then to Argentina in the 2015 World Group quarterfinals, to Great Britain in the 2016 World Group quarterfinals and to France in the 2017 World Group semifinals. Serbia has won 4 of its last 5 home ties. Its only defeat on home soil in that time came against Great Britain in the 2016 World Group quarterfinals in Belgrade. Serbia won its maiden Davis Cup title in 2010, defeating France 3-2 having trailed 2-1 going into the final day. Serbia first competed in Davis Cup in 1995 under the Yugoslav flag. Yugoslavia was renamed Serbia & Montenegro in 2004 before Serbia became an independent nation in Before 1995, Serbian players represented former Yugoslavia, which reached the World Group semifinals three times in and Serbia is currently ranked at No. 7 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking. Its highest ranking is No. 2, which it reached for the first time after winning the title in If Serbia wins this weekend, it will host either Belgium or Hungary in the World Group quarterfinals. Dusan Lajovic is bidding to record his 4th victory in a live rubber this weekend. He has a 3-6 win-loss record in live rubbers and an 8-6 win-loss record in the competition overall. Laslo Djere is making his 2nd Davis Cup appearance this weekend. He made his debut in Serbia s World Group semifinal defeat to France last year, falling to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets in the only rubber he contested. Pedja Krstin, Nikola Milojevic and Miljan Zekic could all make their Davis Cup debuts this weekend, having all been nominated for the first time. Captain Nenad Zimonjic is the most successful Serbian Davis Cup player in terms of most doubles wins (30), total wins (43), ties (55) and years played (22). USA is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the 3rd straight year.

18 Last year, USA defeated Switzerland 5-0 in the World Group first round in Birmingham, Alabama, before falling to Australia 3-2 in the quarterfinals in Brisbane. USA holds the record for most World Group appearances (37), having taken sole ownership of the record following Czech Republic s relegation last year. It has played in the World Group every year but one since its inception in 1981 it was absent from the World Group in 1988 and has the longest unbroken streak of World Group appearances (30). USA is playing in its 289th tie the most for any nation in its 104th year of Davis Cup competition. USA won its 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007, defeating Russia 4-1 in Portland, Oregon. USA and France are the only two nations to win a Davis Cup Final on all four surfaces (grass, clay, hard and carpet). USA s triumph in 2007 came 12 years after its previous title, the longest gap between USA Davis Cup successes. All 4 members of USA s team are ranked in the world s Top 50 in singles. Bob and Mike Bryan, who retired from Davis Cup at the end of the 2016 season, hold a number of Davis Cup records for USA. Bob holds the record for most years played (14), while Mike has the record for the most doubles wins (26) and most ties played (31). They are USA s most successful doubles team with a 24-5 win-loss record together. John McEnroe holds the record for the most overall Davis Cup wins (59) and most singles wins (41). USA is currently ranked No. 10 in the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking the first time it has appeared in the Top 10 since March It slipped to its lowest ever ranking of No. 13 in July If USA wins this weekend, it will host either Belgium or Hungary in the World Group quarterfinals. Sam Querrey is bidding to win his first live singles rubber since the 2014 World Group play-offs, when he defeated Martin Klizan in straight sets in USA s 5-0 victory against Slovakia. He has a 4-8 win-loss record in live singles rubbers and a 7-9 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles overall. John Isner is the most experienced Davis Cup player in the USA team with a singles win-loss record in the 14 ties he has played since making his debut in the competition in He has won both of the 2 doubles rubbers he has played alongside Mardy Fish against Colombia in the 2010 World Group play-offs (d. Robert Farah/Carlos Salamanca) and with Bob Bryan against Serbia in the 2010 World Group first round. Ryan Harrison is contesting his first Davis Cup tie since 2012, when he appeared in both USA s victories against Switzerland in the World Group first round and France in the World Group quarterfinals. He lost the only live rubber he has contested to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets in the tie against France. Steve Johnson has never won a live singles rubber for USA. He lost his only previous live singles rubber in USA s 2015 World Group play-off victory against Uzbekistan, falling to Denis Istomin in the first rubber. He has a 4-1 win-loss record in the competition overall. 18

19 Belgium v Hungary Liege, BEL hard (indoors) Head-to-head: Belgium leads 7-5 A 13th meeting for the 2 nations, which first met in a Europe first qualifying round in This is their first meeting since 1990 before 7 of the 9 players nominated for this weekend s tie were born. Belgium won 4-1 on that occasion, ending a streak of 4 wins for the Hungarians in meetings between the 2 nations. As a finalist in 2017, Belgium was entitled to play at home in the 2018 first round. It chose to exercise this right, despite having also hosted the meeting between the 2 teams in Hungary will have choice of ground for the next 2 ties between the 2 nations. BELGIUM v HUNGARY 3 Current DC Nations Ranking 18 Runner-up 1904, World Group first Best Result 2015, 2017 round 1994, First year played Years played (incl 2018) Years in World Group (incl 2018) Ties played Ties Win-Loss Comebacks from 0-2 down runner-up BELGIUM is bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. Last year, Belgium is reached its 3rd Davis Cup Final, falling to France 3-2 in Lille. Earlier in the year the team defeated Germany 4-1 in Frankfurt, Italy 3-2 in Charleroi and Australia 3-2 in Brussels in the opening 3 rounds. Having finished runner-up in 1904, 2015 and 2017, Belgium jointly holds the record for most appearances in the Davis Cup Final without ever having won the title, alongside India and Romania. Belgium is bidding to extend its 3-tie winning streak on home soil. It has not lost at home since falling to Croatia 3-2 in the 2016 World Group first round in Liege. It has not lost a home tie on a hard court since falling to Austria 4-1 in the 2011 World Group play-offs in Antwerp. Belgium is currently ranked at No. 3 in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking its highest ranking since the Davis Cup Nations Ranking was introduced in If Belgium wins this weekend, it will travel to either Serbia or USA in the World Group quarterfinals. David Goffin could climb to 3rd place on the list for most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Belgian player if he wins 2 singles rubbers this weekend. He will also join Steve Darcis in 5th place on the list for most total wins by a Belgian player if he wins 2 rubbers and take sole ownership of 5th place if he wins 3 rubbers. Most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Belgian player 1. Jacques Brichant Philippe Washer Steve Darcis = David Goffin Andre Lacroix Goffin has won 17 of his last 18 Davis Cup singles rubbers and went unbeaten in 2017, winning all 6 rubbers he contested for the loss of just 2 sets. His only loss in his last 18 singles rubbers in the competition came to Great Britain s Andy Murray in the 2015 Final. Goffin has a 21-3 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles rubbers but has lost all 3 Davis Cup doubles rubbers that he has contested. Ruben Bemelmans could contest his first live singles rubber since the 2015 Final, when he fell to Andy Murray in straight sets in the 2nd rubber. He has contested 6 doubles rubbers and a dead singles rubber 19

20 since then. He has a 4-8 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and an win-loss record in the competition overall. Joris De Loore could contest his first live singles rubber this weekend. He has played 2 dead rubbers defeating Thomaz Bellucci on his debut in Belgium s 2016 World Group play-off victory against Brazil and falling to Alessandro Giannessi in Belgium s quarterfinal victory against Italy last year. He has a 3-3 win-loss record in the competition overall. Julien Cagnina could make his Davis Cup debut this weekend, having been nominated for the first time. HUNGARY is bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the first time and record its best Davis Cup result. Last year, Hungary won promotion to the World Group after defeating Slovakia 3-1 in Bratislava in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round in February (having received a bye through the first round) and Russia 3-1 in Budapest in the World Group play-offs. Hungary has won 9 of its last 10 ties it won successive promotions in , rising from Europe/Africa Zone Group III to Zone Group I by 2016, before winning promotion to the World Group last year. Its only loss since 2014 came against Slovakia in the 2016 Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round. By competing in the World Group this year, Hungary has equalled its best Davis Cup performance. It also contested the World Group in 1994, when it fell to France in the first round, and 1996, when it fell to Czech Republic in the first round. Hungary is ranked No. 18 on the Davis Cup Nations Ranking its highest ranking since the Davis Cup Nations Ranking was introduced in If Hungary wins this weekend, it will travel to either Serbia or USA in the World Group quarterfinals. Marton Fucsovics could take sole ownership of 4th place on the list for most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Hungarian player if he wins at least one singles rubber this weekend. He will also equal Bela von Kehrling in 5th place on the list for most total wins by a Hungarian player if he wins one rubber, equal Peter Szoke in 4th place on the list if he wins 2 rubbers, and claim sole ownership of 4th place on the list if he wins 3 rubbers. Most Davis Cup singles match-wins by a Hungarian player 1. Balazs Taroczy Istvan Gulyas Bela von Kehrling = Jozsef Asboth Marton Fucsovics Fucsovics has won 14 of his last 15 Davis Cup singles rubbers. His only singles defeat in the competition since 2014 was against Slovakia s Jozef Kovalik in Hungary s Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round defeat in He went unbeaten in Davis Cup in 2017, winning all 6 rubbers he contested. He has a win-loss record in the competition overall. Attila Balazs is contesting his 3rd straight tie for Hungary, having previously not appeared in Davis Cup action since He lost the singles rubbers he contested in Hungary s 2 ties last year, but won the doubles rubber in both ties alongside Fucsovics. He has a 10-7 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles and a 15-9 win-loss record overall. Gabor Borsos could appear in his first Davis Cup tie since the 2016 Europe/Africa Zone Group I first round, when he played a dead rubber against Israel s Edan Leshem. He lost the only live rubber he has contested to Radu Albot in Hungary s 4-1 victory against Moldova in the 2015 Europe/Africa Zone Group II first round. Zsombor Piros and Mate Valkusz could both make their Davis Cup debuts this weekend. Piros was nominated for the World Group play-off victory against Russia last year, but did not play, while Valkusz was