A late comeback from Australia was rendered inconsequential as Great Britain claimed an opening 3-2 win in Group D of the United Cup in Sydney.
The team led by Tim Henman already boasted a 2-0 lead from day one, where Cameron Norrie and Katie Swan recorded straight-set wins over Alex de Minaur and Zoe Hives respectively.
On day two, Harriet Dart opened proceedings with a 6-4 6-4 win over Maddison Inglis to confirm victory for Team GB before Jason Kubler produced a dazzling second-set fightback to beat Dan Evans 6-3 7-6[3].
Dart would return to the Ken Rosewall Arena alongside Jonny O'Mara to take on Samantha Stosur and John Peers in the doubles, where a 7-6[4] 6-4 win for the latter allowed the host nation to restore a slice of pride.
Dart took one hour and 32 minutes to see off Inglis in two sets - handing GB an unassailable 3-0 lead in the process - as she broke in the fifth game of the first set and posted three successive love holds for an early advantage.
Inglis came out all guns blazing in the second set, bringing up two break points in Dart's opening service game but failing to convert either of them before the world number 98 broke in the third game.
The Australian would finally earn her first break of the match in game six to level the second set at 3-3, but Dart broke once more for a 5-4 lead before converting her first match point.
Kubler would attempt to restore some pride for the home nation against Evans, and the Australian produced one of the greatest second-set fightbacks Sydney will see to record a two-set triumph in one hour and 50 minutes.
That winning for your country feeling...@harriet_dart | #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/CxsMfVXDAo
— LTA (@the_LTA) December 30, 2022
The 29-year-old broke on an Evans double fault in the eighth game of the first set before holding to settle a tight opening contest, but Evans would seemingly force a third after going 5-0 up in the second set.
However, the Briton then suffered a complete capitulation, losing each of the next five games as Kubler somehow levelled the second set at 5-5, finishing the 10th game with back-to-back aces.
Evans would produce a long-awaited love hold before Kubler forced the tie-breaker, where the Australian found himself 2-0 down before winning seven of the next eight points to march to the unlikeliest of two-set wins.
During the doubles dead rubber, Dart and O'Mara broke in the opening game before Stosur and Peers came storming back, winning the next four games and establishing a healthy 4-1 lead.
A stunning cross-court return from Dart saw GB clinch the break back at 4-3 prior to a tense tie-breaker, where O'Mara's long return wrapped up the opening set for the home nation.
After an early break apiece in the second set, Australia would come back from 40-15 down on GB's serve in game nine to break again for a 5-4 lead, and a pair of aces from Peers ultimately got the job done.
GB return to action on Saturday in their first two matches with Spain, where Norrie will take on 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal before Swan meets Nuria Parrizas-Diaz.
Ben Knapton
