Kounosuke wrote:

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For the same reason GB and USA will be in separate halves, Canada and Japan will be too, as they played each other in the 1st round in both 2014 and 2015.

This won't affect our draw unless Canada are seeded, in which case if they get put in our half, we know that Japan will be in Belgium's half as well as the USA.

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Thanks, I was wondering whether that would apply to any other pairs of teams too but didn't have time to check.

Just realised my calculations gave us 15271.56 points, i.e. 75 points more than are shown on the DC site - I think they may have missed the 75-point win bonus for beating a team ranked 5-8 (AUS were ranked 7) ... or maybe my brain is just addled after the weekend

Edit: my brain was addled - you only get the bonus points if you beat a higher-ranked team (of course, in the past when we've beaten anyone good, they almost invariably were higher-ranked!), so the 15196.56 on the DC site is correct.

Great Britain [s] [c] v Japan

Serbia [s] [c] v Kazakhstan

Italy [c] v Switzerland [s]

Poland [c] v Argentina [s]

France [s] [c] v Canada

Germany [c] v Czech Republic [s]

Australia [s] [c] v USA

Belgium [s] [c] v Croatia

Otto wrote:

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Before we get too excited, Andy Murray will probably not play a full Davis Cup year in 2016. He may play the 1st round or a relegation match to keep us in the world group, but don't expect more than that. As a result Leon Smith will probably step down as captain.

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The Andy bit, I'd say not unlikely. I doubt most folk, certainly here, would expect him to play a full year, whatever that entails. Would not exactly be shock, horror, it's a big commitment and he has no doubt other individual aims bext year.

The supposed probable consequent Leon Smith bit, I'd have thought unlikely, but maybe you know something. Whatever, even if he stepped down it would surprise me if it was consequent on Andy's decisions. 

Otto wrote:

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Before we get too excited, Andy Murray will probably not play a full Davis Cup year in 2016. He may play the 1st round or a relegation match to keep us in the world group, but don't expect more than that. As a result Leon Smith will probably step down as captain.

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 Well, he's been quite open about wanting to develop a role as National Coach for Scotland (or something along those lines anyway) and, as I understand it, he lost a large part of his job at the LTA to Bob Brett and hasn't resumed those duties since BB's departure.