Birmingham to host next Great Britain Davis Cup home tie
Saturday 21 November 2015 16:20, UK
Great Britain's 2016 Davis Cup first-round tie against Japan in March will be played at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena.
The tie will be held from March 4-6, and Britain will hope it is their first as defending champions ahead of next weekend's final against Belgium.
Andy Murray has previously said he hopes to play whatever the outcome in Ghent, with it likely to mark his return to tennis following the birth of his first child.
Should Murray play, there is the exciting prospect of a clash with world No 8 and 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori.
Britain have been fortunate to stage a lot of home ties over the past few years but this will mark their first return to Birmingham since a 4-1 victory against Holland in 2007.
This is the first time Great Britain will have faced Japan since 1931, with the winner set to face Kazakhstan or Serbia in the quarter-finals.
Captain Leon Smith said: "We are delighted to be heading to Birmingham for the first round of our 2016 Davis Cup campaign.
"It is a city with a great sporting history that has hosted some incredible Davis Cup ties in the past. Japan will be a tough contest but I'm sure the Birmingham fans will get right behind us and make as much noise as they can."
