Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"Having lost his two previous service games, serving to stay in the match, that was courageous stuff."

Becky Trotman: It ain't over till it's over!! Come on Dan Evans!!

Folarin Olawale: Evans playing some amazing tennis against Kei Nishikori 

A good start from Evans, forcing Nishikori to go long with a forehand. A nice change of pace and Nishikori's patience snaps and he smacks a backhand into the tramlines. A nice serve-volley from Evans closes out an impressive hold.

Image source, Reuters

Scott Superbad!: Being a tennis fan; it's great to see GB tennis in such a good place.

Alice Stainer: Dan has suddenly become The Man! Brilliant! The pendulum swings of tennis match momentum never fail to fascinate.

Liz Henwood: Argh, gotta go out very soon and the Davis Cup second match is so exciting - Come on Dan!

Evans is having a bit of a brain-freeze - he stops mid-point to challenge a shot from Nishikori, but it clearly caught the baseline. That allows Nishikori to claim the first hold of serve in five games.

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"No sign of fatigue in the legs but you can see it in the shot selection from Evans."

Image source, PA

A couple more forehand errors from Nishikori allow Evans to sneak 30-15 ahead, but a well-constructed point gives him hope at 30-30.

Evans fires an ace down the centre, but then he comes into the net and can't make a simple volley. Deuce.

Evans tries to be just a little too delicate with a drop shot, and it loops agonisingly into the net. Break point, and an effortless forehand pass from Nishikori sees him draw level again.

John Lloyd
Former Davis Cup finalist on BBC Two

"What a performance. It is extraordinary, Evans looked down and out he kept his belief and Nishikori, what a meltdown, I haven’t seen this from a world class player. 

"He had this but his forehand has gone all over the place and credit to Dan Evans for hanging in."

Image source, PA

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"Nishikori is an experienced guy but playing away in the Davis Cup is not easy and this is the match Japan must win."

That's a bad error from Nishikori, who has half the court to aim if he goes down the line but inexplicably goes cross-court, straight to where a relieved Evans is waiting to dispatch the volley.

And then a horror moment for the Japanese - somehow missing a simple overhead to bring up three break points.

He saves the first with a backhand down the line, but Evans trades with him on the second and fires a bullet of a forehand past Nishikori. Evans sneaks ahead again in the bizarre, topsy-turvy set.

Image source, PA

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"If a Davis Cup match was over one set Dan Evans would be on the team sheet every time. 

"But over the years, Dan hasn't put the work in he wishes he had and in these long matches you are tested physically."

Now, can Evans solidify his advantage in this set? 

A double-fault gives Nishikori a sniff at 15-30, then Evans goes long. Two break points. The first is saved with an absolutely magnificent round-arm smash, and on the second he forces an error.

Brilliant scampering from Evans at deuce and Nishikori fires long. Can Evans seal the deal? No, that's a tight forehand into the tape.

Evans wafts a backhand into the tramlines, and it's break point Nishikori. And he takes it absolutely superbly, flattening a forehand onto the sideline. All square again.

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"The thing has always been with Dan Evans, can he do it on a day to day basis, but forget that now, all Britain care about is can he take him the distance? Even just tire him out for when the two number ones play on Sunday."

Nishikori needs to stop the rot here, but Evans is surfing a wave of momentum here. He fires a great pass low over the net that forces Nishikori to go long, then a wild forehand from the Japanese makes it 30-30.

Nishikori can't pick up a good drop shot, sending it into the net. Break point. Evans fires a return at Nishikori's toes, and the world number six sends it long! What a ten minutes from Dan Evans. 

Image source, Getty Images

Jamie Baker
Former GB Davis Cup player on BBC Two

"It is almost as if Nishikori needs to regroup a little bit. I would not have predicted that five minutes ago."

Now, when Evans broke in the first set he gave it straight back. Can he consolidate this time? He can, you know. Nishikori has gone AWOL all of a sudden, and a forehand error, followed by a limp drop shot into the net, give Evans a morale-boosting hold to love.

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator

"Well done Dan Evans. He could have gone there but he didn’t. That is resilience."

Nishikori steers a backhand into the tramlines, and Evans has fought his way to deuce. And when the Japanese goes long, Evans has a break point chance.

He desperately needs to take chances like this, but that's a dreadful waste - a second-serve that begs to be hit, but instead he floats over the baseline.

However, Evans sends up a terrific lob into the lights and Nishikori can't get it back. Break point number two. And this time he takes it when Nishikori goes long! Superb response from Evans, but that was poor concentration from the world number six.

Image source, PA