SPORTS

Tomic defeats Evans in 4 sets to draw Australia level with Britain 1-1 in semifinals

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Britain's Andy Murray plays a return to Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis during the semifinal tennis matches of the Davis Cup in Glasgow, Friday Sept. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (The Associated Press)

Australia's Bernard Tomic plays a return to Britain's Dan Evansduring the semifinal tennis matches of the Davis Cup in Glasgow, Friday Sept. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (The Associated Press)

Andy Murray swept to a convincing victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis, but the opening day of Britain's Davis Cup semifinal against Australia finished level at 1-1 on Friday after Bernard Tomic defeated Dan Evans in four sets.

Murray put Britain ahead with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 win, but a surprise decision to pick the 300th-ranked Evans for the second match failed to deliver as Tomic came through for a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 6-4 victory.

Murray, who served 10 aces to Kokkinakis' two, played an aggressive game that was simply too much to handle for the 19-year-old Australian, who is ranked 72nd.

Defeat for Evans means that Murray might now line up alongside his brother Jamie for the doubles on Saturday against Samuel Groth and Lleyton Hewitt.