Leon Smith calls on British fans to make the difference at Davis Cup in Manchester - 'It makes a difference'
By Jonny Bray
Published 12/09/2024 at 21:56 GMT+1
Great Britain defeated Finland 2-1 in their opening tie of the 2024 Davis Cup, but that was not enough for captain Leon Smith. He wants British fans to create an atmosphere fit for a football match when his team return to Manchester on Friday and Sunday to take on Argentina and Canada. He said that a loud crowd could have helped Dan Evans and Neal Skupski in their doubles defeat.
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Video credit: SNTV
Davis Cup captain Leon Smith has called on British tennis fans to inspire his team into the knockout stages by creating a game-changing atmosphere at the Manchester Arena.
Great Britain defeated Finland 2-1 in their opening tie but still have Argentina and Canada to contend with as they bid to make it out of Group D.
The BBC reported that just over 6,000 fans filled the 21,000-capacity arena, but that attendance was always likely to have been impacted by the start time.
The tie got underway at 1pm UK time on Wednesday, following the end of the school holidays, but Smith still believes British fans can make the difference against Argentina on Friday and Canada on Sunday.
"I urge those coming on Friday and Sunday to empty the tank," he told the BBC. "You see it at the French Open, it's like a football crowd. It makes a difference at the end of a long day.
"It was really quiet out there, and we have to make the most of that home advantage."
- Great Britain secure 2-1 win over Finland to kick off Davis Cup Finals with Draper rested
- Draper ‘working hard’ to overcome minor injury ahead of Davis Cup
- Davis Cup: 'One of the best debuts' - Leon Smith praises 'immense' Billy Harris for big win on Great Britain bow
US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper was rested for the clash with Finland after his impressive run at Flushing Meadows.
Dan Evans and Billy Harris both won their singles matches, but the former and Neal Skupski were beaten by Harri Heliovaara and Otto Virtanen in the doubles.
Every match is crucial in the Davis Cup, with only the top two teams in each group entering the knockout stages.
Smith believes a partisan home crowd in Manchester could have made all the difference in Great Britain's doubles defeat.
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Video credit: SNTV
"We talked about it at 2-0. We can't fault [Dan and Neal's] efforts - they were bang on it," he added.
"It was a shot here and there. But 3-0 would have been lovely.
"It would have helped if the crowd could have played a bit more part in it, creating noise and energy the whole way."
Watch and stream the 2024 Laver Cup live on Eurosport and discovery+
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