Davis Cup: Jack Draper beats Viktor Durasovic as GB leads Norway in qualifying

Jack Draper scored a big win on his long-awaited return from injury to help England lead 1-0 against Norway in Davis Cup qualifying.

England number one Draper has been sidelined for five months with a broken arm.

His return was postponed twice due to injury and he missed the Australian Open in January to complete his recovery.

However, he served well, moved quickly and showed some brutal groundstrokes to beat Viktor Durasovic 6-2 6-2 in his first competitive match in 164 days.

Sterner’s test will await world No. 13 Draper, who is ranked 300 places ahead of Durasovic but will take comfort in a convincing win after a long hard-fought battle.

“It’s a difficult period but I know I have to keep practicing and keep learning about myself,” the 24-year-old said.

Cameron Norrie will face Nikolay Budkov Kjaer in a best-of-five matchup later Thursday.

Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash will team up for a doubles match on Friday, followed by two singles matches if the scores are not decided by then.

The winner of the Oslo tournament will face either Australia or Ecuador for a spot in the eight-team final in November.