Murray backs 'bad-boy' Dan Evans for Davis Cup glory

Great Britain's Andy Murray and Dan Evans (left) after the Davis Cup Draw at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow. Credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Andy Murray has backed Dan Evans to handle the pressure of his unexpected Davis Cup opportunity.

Evans was only called into the squad on Tuesday after Kyle Edmund fell intraining and he was preferred to James Ward as captain Leon Smith took nochances with Edmund's ankle injury.

That means Evans takes on Bernard Tomic in the second singles rubber on Friday - Murray opens proceedings against Thanasi Kokkinakis - as Britain face Australia in their first Davis Cup semi-final for 34 years.

The world number 300 has seven Britons above him in the rankings and has not played a top-100 player for more than a year, but he beat Tomic in the 2013 US Open and won a deciding rubber against Russia in the Davis Cup earlier that year.

Smith has selected him for his summer form, winning 29 out of his last 32matches, while Ward lost nine in a row after Wimbledon, albeit at a higherlevel.

And Murray believes his team-mate will rise to the occasion.