Andy Murray beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori in a gripping contest to secure victory for defending champions Great Britain in the Davis Cup first round.
The Scot won 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 4-6 6-3 after four hours and 54 minutes to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie in Birmingham.
Murray, 28, won three matches in three days in his first event back following the birth of his daughter Sophia.
Britain will play Serbia away in July’s quarter-finals.
World number one Novak Djokovic took almost five hours to beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-3 6-2 as Serbia levelled their tie with Kazakhstan at 2-2.
Viktor Troicki, the world number 23, then saw off Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-2 6-3 6-4 in the deciding rubber.
Britain’s victory ensured their place in the elite World Group in 2017.
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