Dan Evans surprised by Davis Cup singles berth against Australia

Late call-up Dan Evans revealed that he thought he was only coming to Glasgow for a knockabout before being handed a surprise singles berth in Great Britain's Davis Cup semi-final against Australia.

With Kyle Edmund's ankle still causing concern and James Ward struggling for form, Evans has come from nowhere to make the line-up for Britain's first World Group semi-final for 34 years.

The world No 300 has been rewarded for a successful summer since failing to qualify for Wimbledon, which has seen him win two ITF Futures tournaments on home soil, come runner-up in two more and reach the semi-final of the Vancouver Open on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Evans has previous experience of beating Friday's opponent Bernard Tomic - in the 2013 US Open - but the 25-year-old has not played against a top-100 opponent in the past 12 months and his inclusion represents a gamble from British captain Leon Smith.

Evans arrived in Glasgow on Tuesday after Edmund fell during practice and will now make his first appearance in the competition for two years.

Speaking about the initial call from Smith, Evans said: "Not a lot was said. He didn't even say Kyle had fallen, he just said someone was injured.

"He asked me to come to be on standby and I said yes. It's a good opportunity to be around all the guys again, I haven't been in this environment for a while. I just came up for a practice really and things worked out a bit different."

Smith believes Evans has the form and tactics to upset the world No 23 again.

The Scot said: "It wasn't an easy decision but, having thought about it a lot, the fact that Dan has played an awful lot of tennis this summer and won a lot of matches, albeit mostly at Futures level, winning really helps. He comes in with a lot of confidence.

"He looks sharp, he is obviously very much match-fit. He has a very good game indoors. He obviously has a very good record against one of the players in particular here.

"I think he can offer something different on the court with his game style and he gives us options both in game style and tactics, and also during the match he can mix things up.

"Obviously Kyle, although he is almost fit, still had a fall the other day and it wasn't worth risking anything happening over the weekend, especially when you go in with two singles players and two doubles players. If anything had happened to Kyle on Friday, we would have been up against it."

Evans beat then 20-year-old Tomic in four sets at the US Open two years ago and the Birmingham-based player feels that could give him an edge.

"My game matches up pretty well to him and that is what I have to do on Friday, play that way," he said. "Everyone remembers when you have played someone before, I do when I've lost to someone. That's always in someone's head, which is good."

Andy Murray kicks off the contest against Thanasi Kokkinakis and will hope Britain are in a good enough position that he can sit out Saturday and let brother Jamie and Dom Inglot face Lleyton Hewitt and Samuel Groth in the doubles.

Murray has never played against the 19-year-old but knows him well.

The two-time Grand Slam champion said: "Obviously I've practised with him a lot and spent a lot of time watching him as well as speaking to him, so for one of the younger guys I know his game better than most.

"We practised together for the French Open, the US Open and we played doubles together in Miami. He is quite an explosive player but at the same time it's a tough match-up for him as well."

Murray has also backed Evans to handle the pressure following his surprise call-up.

"Dan's talent has never been in question and I also think he has the sort of personality that gets up for big matches and big occasions," the Scot said.

"Obviously some players can freeze in those situations but I don't think that is in his personality, I think he will handle it fine.

"There will be nerves but I think he will handle them. He has a game that is different to the other players on our team. It's not a game loads of guys on the tour play nowadays."

Join us for live coverage of Great Britain's Davis Cup semi-final against Australia from midday on Friday.