Great Britain, a nation that has clinched the Davis Cup title ten times, has only managed to secure the trophy once since the 1930s – a victory in 2015 spearheaded by Andy Murray – and were eliminated by Japan in the initial stage last year.
In September, Great Britain defeated Poland 3-1, thereby retaining their status in the top division.
They are heading to Oslo, where their first-round qualifying match will take place on February 6 and February 7, entering as the expected frontrunners to advance. The roster includes two singles players ranked within the global top 30, specifically Draper and Cameron Norrie, alongside British number three Jacob Fearnley, and a Grand Slam-winning doubles pair consisting of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash.
Host nation Norway has verified that world number 12 Casper Ruud will not be participating, as his wife recently gave birth to their first child over the weekend. This leaves teenager Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, ranked 133rd, as their highest-ranked singles competitor.
Kjaer is scheduled to play Norrie in the second singles fixture, with Draper taking on Viktor Durasovic, who is ranked 329th globally.
Yet, notwithstanding the significant difference in rankings, Draper asserts that Great Britain must be prepared to “contend for every point” against an “impressive” Norwegian squad.
“They have a youthful player in [Nicolai Budkov] Kjaer, who was the top-ranked junior worldwide and is performing excellently on the professional circuit. He will prove challenging to overcome – a young individual with much to demonstrate,” Draper stated.
“This will be a substantial challenge for all of us, but I believe we are ready to embrace it and strive for every single point.”
The victor of this matchup will progress to a second-round qualifier, where they will face either Australia or Ecuador for an opportunity to secure a spot at November’s Davis Cup Finals in Italy.
