Venue: <\/strong>Pueblo Viejo Country Club, Cota, Colombia <\/span>Date:<\/strong> 4 February<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Coverage:<\/strong> Watch live coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button and the BBC Sport website & app from 17:00 GMT (17:30 Red Button) on Saturday<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Cameron Norrie ensured Great Britain will start day two of their Davis Cup Finals qualifier level against Colombia by defeating Nicolas Barrientos.<\/span><\/p>\n British number one Norrie overcame the challenge of playing at altitude on clay in Bogota to win 6-2 7-5.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n World number 30 Dan Evans failed to give the visitors a winning start as he fell to a surprise 6-2 2-6 6-4 loss to the 253rd-ranked Nicolas Mejia.<\/span><\/p>\n Ten-time winners GB are bidding to reach September’s group stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Captain Leon Smith claimed the tie in Colombia, played using pressureless balls to cope with an altitude of 2,566m, was the “most complicated” his squad could have drawn.<\/span><\/p>\n That proved to be the case in Friday’s opener as the decision to arrive a week early in preparation was not enough to help Evans, who had previously warned that the team must be prepared to win “ugly” at the Pueblo Viejo Country Club.<\/span><\/p>\n It meant he handed over to Norrie with the British number one requiring victory to prevent GB facing three must-win match-ups on the second day of the contest.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately for his team – which also includes Jack Draper, Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury – Norrie’s quality told against an opponent ranked outside the world’s top 500.<\/span><\/p>\n The world number 11 was able to quieten the previously raucous home support as he comfortably took the first set with a double break of serve.<\/span><\/p>\n The Briton maintained that momentum with another break to begin the second – but Barrientos responded immediately before seeing five more break points pass in game four.<\/span><\/p>\n With his opponent in the ascendancy Norrie again escaped to level at 3-3, before sealing an ultimately decisive break in game 11 and serving out to earn a crucial point for his nation.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s always difficult playing away and with the altitude and this surface,” Norrie said. <\/span><\/p>\n “But I really enjoyed the atmosphere and I was able to put enough balls in the court to get over the line. [Saturday] is a big day, so we’re looking forward to that.”<\/span><\/p>\n Evans must quickly forget the disappointment of his opening match as he prepares to play a crucial role on Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n He will partner Skupski against former number one duo Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in his first ever Davis Cup doubles contest, later returning for a potentially decisive closing singles meeting with Barrientos.<\/span><\/p>\n “I did my best. It was obviously very difficult conditions,” Evans said. “It’s disappointing to lose, especially for your country with everybody supporting you. It’s the hardest loss to take.<\/span><\/p>\n “But there’s a job for the weekend, it’s not just for today. That’s why it’s the three points [to win] and not just one.”<\/span><\/p>\n With the ball flying fast off the racquet in the thinner air, Mejia – the hosts’ highest-ranked player after world number 81 Daniel Elahi Galan pulled out with an injury – delighted the home crowd as he opened with three successive aces and followed up a love hold with a break of serve.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite conceding the opening set with another loss of serve, Evans asserted himself early in the second and an efficient double break brought him level.<\/span><\/p>\n Mejia was able to come through four break points at the start of a close decider, while Evans resisted two to hold for 4-4.<\/span><\/p>\n But a costly double fault by the Briton two games later handed his significantly lower-ranked opponent two match points – and the arena erupted in celebration as the home favourite sunk to his knees after taking his second opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n Follow coverage of Great Britain’s qualifying match on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app from 17:00 GMT on Saturday. <\/em><\/p>\n |
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