U.S. TO FACE AUSTRALIA IN DAVIS CUP FIRST ROUND  

Team USA will have to travel a long way to advance in the 2016 Davis Cup World Group.

The U.S. drew an away tie against Australia to open its 2016 Davis Cup campaign. The tie is scheduled for March 4-6, 2016, at a site in Australia to be determined. The winner advances to the 2016 quarterfinals, to be held in July, while the loser will be relegated to a World Group Playoff match. 

The U.S. squad earned its spot in the 2016 World Group last weekend, defeating Uzbekistan in the World Group Playoff, 3-1, behind two singles wins by Jack Sock and a doubles victory by Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey.

The U.S. has faced Australia in Davis Cup more often than any other nation, holding a 25-20 overall head-to-head advantage. The two countries last met in 1999, in a World Group Quarterfinal tie played in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where the U.S. lost, 4-1. The U.S. last defeated Australia in the 1997 World Group Semifinal in Washington D.C., 4-1, behind a team of Pete Sampras, Todd Martin and Michael Chang.

The top-ranked singles players for the U.S. are John Isner (No. 13), Sock (No. 28), Querrey (No. 41), Johnson (No. 47) and Donald Young (No. 51), and it also boasts the No. 1 doubles team in the world in Bob and Mike Bryan. Australia counters with Bernard Tomic (No. 20), Nick Kyrgios (No. 42), Sam Groth (No. 54) and Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 70). In addition, John Peers is No. 8 in the individual doubles rankings.

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles, while Australia is second with 28. (Great Britain and France are tied for third, with nine.) The U.S. holds a 215-69 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989.