Davis Cup Finals: free tennis tips, betting preview and where to watch

Free tennis tips for the Davis Cup Finals, with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray all in action.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1, 4pm Monday

Best bets

Australia
1pt 8-1 general

Tournament preview

They say money talks and that is the case where the Davis Cup, reborn in Madrid this week as a seven-day, 18-team tournament, is concerned.

The International Tennis Federation, in partnership with Gerard Pique-backed Kosmos Holding, have drastically changed the format from the traditional home-away ties in a move met with scepticism.

As a result, the Davis Cup market is now a difficult proposition for punters seeking to whittle 18 nations down to one with hosts Spain priced up as 7-2 favourites at La Caja Magica.

The competition will feature six groups of three nations, with France, Croatia, Argentina, Belgium, Great Britain and USA all seeded. All group winners progress to the quarter-finals as well as the two second-placed teams with the best record.

The new format was devised with the stars in mind and world number one Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are in action, although both looked as if the long season was taking a toll when failing to reach the last four of the ATP Tour Finals.

Spain are worthy favourites with Nadal in the team, but ties against 2016 champions Croatia and a strong Russian squad are not going to be easily negotiated and they look worth opposing.

France have a top-class doubles pairing but lack star quality in singles while doubts over Djokovic’s wellbeing mean that Serbia should be avoided.

Great Britain, meanwhile, are not without a chance with Andy Murray back in action but doubts persist about their singles number two with Kyle Edmund in such poor form.

Australia look a solid option in the hope that the new format brings the best out of Nick Kyrgios - the enigmatic 24-year-old demonstrated a love for team combat in the Laver Cup recently and he’s backed up in Madrid by beaten Next Gen finalist Alex de Minaur.

De Minaur was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the Rome final but the 20-year-old, who is a three-time winner this year, is hugely consistent and his mentor and captain Lleyton Hewitt will be counting on him to delivery for the men in green and gold.

Only the US have won more Davis Cups than Australia, who have been handed a kind draw in Group D alongside Belgium, who are overly reliant on out-of-form David Goffin, and Colombia, who have a top doubles pairing but little singles quality. Expect the 28-time winners to contend again.

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