Cash & Glasspool avoid scare as GB beat Norway 3-0

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool avoided a huge scare to triumph in the doubles and put Great Britain into the final round of Davis Cup qualifying with a 3-0 win over Norway.

Wimbledon champions Cash and Glasspool were the heavy favourites against inexperienced duo Viktor Durasovic and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, ranked 491st and 1,187th in doubles respectively.

The pair raced through the first set but completely lost their way in the second in an entertaining encounter in Oslo.

Cash and Glasspool then held firm to eventually come through 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-5).

After Cash produced a service winner to secure victory, he started to walk back to the baseline, with all of the players thinking it was a 10-point match tie-break.

However, the umpire intervened to confirm Britain had wrapped up the best-of-five tie at the earliest opportunity.

“It means the world,” Glasspool said of securing a first Davis Cup match win.

“It was a little monkey on our back and now we can both free up a little and hopefully get many more wins.”

The returning Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie beat Durasovic and Budkov Kjaer respectively in the singles on Thursday to put Leon Smith’s side in a strong position.

The brief doubles wobble aside, Britain were comfortable winners against a weakened Norway, who were without world number 12 Casper Ruud following the birth of his first child.

Draper looked in good touch in his first singles match since August last year, although he will continue to monitor the bone bruising in his service arm that sidelined him for six months.

Norrie was as dependable and gritty as ever, while Cash and Glasspool regrouped well against a spirited Norway team.

The doubles was the most entertaining match of the tie, with promising teenager Budkov Kjaer producing some brilliant shot-making from the back of court.

Glasspool was supreme on serve throughout, while Cash recovered well from being broken in both his service games in the second set.

Cash and Glasspool missed both their break point opportunities in the third set, largely down to Budkov Kjaer’s superb recovery skills.