Britain face gruelling Davis Cup tie in the high altitude of Colombia on Friday

Britain’s Davis Cup team will begin their journey in the 2023 competition on Friday night by going from the dry heat of Melbourne to the mountain hut altitude of Bogota.

They will face Colombia at the breath-sapping height of 2,500 metres, meaning that depressurised balls will be used, designed to stop them fizzing too wildly off the clay courts at Pueblo Viejo Country Club.

‘We knew this was probably the most complicated tie we could have, when you factor in the logistics of coming from Melbourne for most of our players, changing surface and of course everyone talks about the altitude which needs adaptation,’ said British captain Leon Smith.

‘The ball is the main thing. The pressureless ball is something the players wouldn’t use at any other time of year and that’s why we came early – so we had seven or eight days’ preparation, and the players have been absolutely tremendous.

‘To have all of them wanting to be here and prepared to come early has made a big difference but we know it is going to be a difficult challenge.’

On paper, at least, GB have by far the stronger team, especially with the Colombians’ number one player, Daniel Galan, out with injury.

Smith has even been able to leave world number 40 Jack Draper out of the initial line-up, going with the greater experience of Cam Norrie and Dan Evans. 

The Colombians’ two singles players, Nicolas Meija and Nicolas Barrientos, are ranked 253 and 510 respectively.

‘It’s not normal conditions but we’ve been here a long time and practised pretty well,’ said Evans. ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s pretty or ugly – it’s about getting a point on the board.’

The home side have a formidable doubles pairing in Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who in these conditions would be expected to bank that point, so there is little room for slip-ups.

Evans – who criticised the doubles selection last September when GB lost in Glasgow – has been named alongside Neal Skupski, a complete change from Scotland when Joe Salisbury played with Andy Murray.

‘It took us a couple of days to get used to the heart-rate, it was difficult to breathe, but each day it has got better,’ said Skupski.

A victory in the best-of-five rubber match will put Britain back in the group stage play-offs to try and reach the finals week of a historic competition, whose future is clouded by off-court politics.

Day One: 8pm UK time: Mejia v Evans, Barrientos v Norrie. (BBC iPlayer)