Ward looks threatening when a forehand winner takes him to 30-30, followed by a yelp of delight. Team GB are on their feet, including doubles debutant Dom Inglot, who only last week was regaling the BBC team in Melbourne with tales of gluten-free pizzas and his love of breakfast cereals. Anyway, Ward misses the return at deuce and then gets on the wrong end of an overrule.

A good forehand from Querrey makes it 0-30 and Ward then plays a shocker of a smash, putting it wide with his nose hanging over the net. Three break points.... Ward saves the first thanks to a fine drop shot, the second in a lengthy rally and the third when Querrey misses a forehand. A great hold for the British player and the captains get to work, Leon Smith on his feet and Jim Courier sitting alongside his charge.

Querrey plays a nice backhand behind Ward and into the corner for 40-15, but the Briton pegs him back in a brilliant rally that ends with Ward smacking away a backhand at the net. It doesn't count for much when Querrey belts another mighty serve.

Querrey plays a beauty of a drop shot, allowing me to roll out the "great hands for a big man" cliche, but Ward plays a great point at deuce, wrong-footing the American with a forehand into the corner. Querrey then tops a forehand into the net and Ward gets a jolt of support from his team-mates on the sidelines.

Querrey belts down a couple of 140mph serves from 30-30, as he tends to do.

Ward is pushed back by a heavy blow from Querrey and sends a forehand out, but the Briton takes the game when Querrey drags one wide. The brass band pipes up, if that's what brass bands do, and a group of American fans in knitted headgear look vaguely animated by proceedings.

Querrey looks completely untroubled on serve, banging down a winner as the sun comes out over Petco Park.

Ward is in trouble again but scrambles through what could be a key game. and gives himself a "Come on!"

Mands:, external Cannot understand why USA is not packed to rafters as it always is and where is the atmosphere?

Damon Conlan:, external Enjoying the Davis Cup practice session. When does the crowd arrive and the match start?

Joe Craven:, external You forget that Friday is a working day and these matches are on during the day.

Ross Hutchins
British doubles player on BBC TV

"You can't replicate the feeling of matches won, and Ward has only won one match this year. It can take time to get that feeling back - you cannot beat winning matches on tour."

Image source, Getty Images

Querrey gives the modestly-sized home crowd something to cheer by taking the first set, after Ward frames one to third base (or somewhere on a baseball field) and then sticks one in the net - 22 errors from the Briton in that set. "I think tomorrow we will see a better atmosphere because the Bryans are very good at getting the crowd involved," says John Lloyd on BBC3.

Ward slips while heading out wide to fetch a forehand and it's 30-40, set point... but a good backhand into the corner saves the Londoner, and he gets off the mark.

Two aces help Querrey to a quick hold and, since that first game, Ward hasn't been in it.

Ward gets a bit of a confidence boost with some decent serves and a heavy forehand that Querrey can only frame in the direction of a watching photographer, who enjoys his moment in the spotlight, but a second double fault and a 13th unforced error see Ward broken again. He's not faring any better than Donald Young so far.

John Lloyd
Former British number one on BBC TV

"Ward is just a little bit tight, but the beauty of Davis Cup is, it's best of five."

Ward is having all sorts of trouble getting a firm footing on the slippery clay and finds himself regularly out of position, allowing Querrey to wind up his big forehand. Easy hold.

Ward looks edgy in his opening service game, with a double fault and an awkward, snatched forehand making it 15-40 and two break points... an ace saves the first, but Ward hits a backhand long on the second and he's behind early on.

"Come on Wardy!" bellows a British voice in the crowd, and he's back from 40-0 down to 40-30 when a Querrey smash clips the tape and hops into the tramlines. A ropey old backhand from the American makes it deuce, and Ward is targeting that wing, but some big serves get Querrey out of trouble.

Ward and Querrey are knocking up, with umpire John Blom in the chair. I had a chat with him in Melbourne last week, nice man and he had some great insights into taking charge of the biggest names in the sport. Excuse the name dropping but, let's face it, it's not Beyonce.

Courier is back on his feet, hands in his pockets, with the swagger of a school prefect. Here we go, Querrery to serve...

Image source, Getty Images

So Britain are on the board, with one of the three points required in the bag, and next up it's James Ward v Sam Querrey, world number 175 v world number 49. The rankings suggest the Americans will level the tie, but Ward won his only previous match against Querrey at Queen's Club in 2011 and has reportedly been playing well in practice. This match is also something of a free swing for the British team, as a victory would put them in a pretty unassailable position.