Great Britain into Davis Cup semi-finals

Smith, however, was keen to direct the full glare of the spotlight onto Edmund.

Slovenian-born British number three Aljaz Bedene is still unable to feature for his adopted country in Davis Cup competition after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rejected an appeal that his passport application had been lodged before last year’s rule change, preventing players from representing two different nations.

(Petr Sznapka/CTK via AP).

(AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic). British fans celebrate after their team won their Davis Cup quarterfinal tennis match against Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, July 17, 2016.

Perhaps, then, it was to be expected that Great Britain’s tie against Serbia in Belgrade and Argentina’s against Italy in Pesaro-a hop, skip and a jump west and across the Adriatic-would be hit by the same persistent wet weather on the first of their three days of action.

The 21-year-old Edmund also won his opening singles on Friday against Janko Tipsarevic as he assumed the role of leader of the team because Murray was on the sidelines.

It made James Ward’s clash with Janko Tipsarevic a dead rubber, which the Serbian veteran won 6-2 3-6 7-5.

Lajovic is a solid player and a very good mover on clay but the 26-year-old does not have a shot to rival Edmund’s forehand – he hit 27 winners off that wing alone. For their part, Serbia were missing World No1 Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki.

Edmund won 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to down his opponent and confirm an unassailable 3-1 advantage to seal Britain’s passage into the final four.

“The last point was pressure on him, match point down, two sets down”. Lajovic broke for 5-5, and the Briton fended off two set points to take it to a tie-break.

The aggressive right-hander then battled through from 30-30 on his own serve but was unable to claim another break and two set points.

With a chance to serve the tie out, Edmund tightened quite considerably, allowing Lajovic crucially his first break of the match so far to level at 5-5.

The title holders will now play Argentina at home in September following their impressive win, as Edmund’s powerful forehand proved to be too effective for Lajovic.

France also clinched victory over the Czech Republic in the fourth singles rubber, as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came from a set down to beat Jiri Vesely in four.

World number 10 Tsonga beat 50th-ranked Vesely 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 7-5 in three hours and 28 minutes as France won on Czech soil for the first time in 90 years.

If the partisan crowd had thought they had got to Edmund in that last game they could not have been more wrong, as he patiently constructed his points, snaring a break to go up 4-3.

And in Saturday’s doubles rubber, Wimbledon champions Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Radek Stepanek and Rosol in five sets. On Friday, Rosol beat Tsonga in a five-setter, and Lucas Pouille made a victorious Davis Cup debut by beating Vesely in straight sets. It faces the United States or Croatia in the semifinals.

Marin Cilic set up a deciding fifth match in Croatia’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against the US, beating John Isner 7-6 (11-9), 6-3, 6-4 in the first reverse singles match Sunday to level the tie at 2-2.

Jack Sock faced Croatia’s Borna Coric in the final match on the Tualatin Hills hard courts in Portland, Oregon.