Great Britain returned to the Davis Cup elite World Group
for the first time in five years after Andy Murray put on a masterclass against
Croatia's Ivan Dodig.
The double Grand Slam champion came through on the clay
of the Stadion Stella Maris in Umag with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 success in the first
reverse singles rubber.
Victory for Leon Smith's team meant they held an
unassailable 3-1 lead against the 2005 champions with a match to spare.
It has been an impressive rise three years after they
were one match away from being relegated to the lowest tier of the competition.
The British No 1 made the perfect start by breaking the
world No 35 in the opening game of the match thanks to some audacious
scrambling at the back of the court.
The pair then traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games
before the Scot held to move 4-2 up and he duly served out the opening set in
47 minutes.
Murray had won their only other previous encounter
heading into the clash - a straight sets victory on the hard courts of the US
Open in 2012.
The Wimbledon champion showed total concentration in the
second set as he took a firm grip on the match with a break in the third game
before holding to love to move 3-1 up.
A partizan crowd by the seaside were trying their best to
encourage 28-year-old Dodig, but it was the Dunblane-born player who moved a
double-break clear at 5-2, before serving it out.
The 26-year-old jumped out to a break lead at the start
of the third set and although Dodig saved two match points at 5-3, Murray held
his nerve to serve out the match, despite a controversial overrule on a line
call in his favour by the Umpire at 30-30, the next game.
Smith has now lost only one of his eight ties in charge
and will now lead his team against the likes of defending champions Czech
Republic, Spain, Serbia and Argentina at the highest level, next February.
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