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Great Britain captain Leon Smith says his team have a “really good chance” of winning next year’s Davis Cup if world number seven Jack Draper is fit and available.<\/b><\/p>\n
British number two Cameron Norrie sealed a place in February’s qualifiers – and therefore a chance to go after the 2026 title – with victory over Poland’s Olaf Pieczkowski on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Norrie produced a professional performance, dropping just three points on serve, to win 6-4 6-4 against the world number 484 and give Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five World Group 1 tie.<\/p>\n
“Honestly, I think we’ve got a really good chance [of winning],” said Smith.<\/p>\n
“It comes down to who is available to play. You need your top players to try and win it – that’s clear. But I hope the players are motivated to play.”<\/p>\n
Smith was without British number one Draper in Poland because of a season-ending arm injury<\/a> that caused the 23-year-old to withdraw from the US Open after a first-round win.<\/p>\n “I think there’s an appetite from our top players to want to play, and of course if you have got someone like Jack [Draper], when he comes into the team and you’ve got a top-tenner, it obviously makes a difference as well,” said Smith.<\/p>\n “We’ve got good depth with Cam [Norrie], Jacob [Fearnley], Arthur [Fery] and there’s others, and with strong doubles options you have a chance.”<\/p>\n Britain last won the Davis Cup in 2015 when Sir Andy Murray was part of the team.<\/p>\n Norrie’s victory to seal Britain’s place in February’s first round came after Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool missed an earlier chance when they lost their doubles rubber.<\/p>\n The world number one pairing, making their Davis Cup debuts, were stunned 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) by Karol Drzewiecki and Jan Zielinski.<\/p>\n That outcome put the onus on Norrie to clinch the tie for Britain or risk the team facing a deciding match, and he came up with the required result to earn high fives from colleagues at courtside.<\/p>\n Britain had needed just one win on Saturday to progress from the tie after Norrie and Arthur Fery<\/a>, who made his Davis Cup debut in the absence of Draper and Fearnley, won their respective singles matches on Friday.<\/p>\n Defeat in Poland would have meant a February play-off which could have resulted in relegation to World Group 2, but instead they are heading back to the elite level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n