Sport

Billy Harris’ sensational Davis Cup debut helps secure GB’s opening win in Manchester

Start as you mean to go on.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 12th September 2024

Great Britain grabbed their first win in the opening game of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage this week with a hard-fought day against Finland which featured a truly stunning debut from would-be dark horse Billy Harris.

‘The World Cup of Tennis’ returned to Manchester’s AO Arena on Tuesday for the next stage of the tournament, with Britain getting their Finals group games underway this past Wednesday and starting as they mean to go on.

It may have been too early to throw in Jack Draper – who despite being one of their most promising squad members is still pretty raw from his draining semi-final defeat in the US Open last week – but, thankfully, experienced Dan Evans got the ball rolling and it became a case of building on the advantage.

That being said, you could tell from the early points of Evans’ opener against world no. 703 Eero Vasa that it was going to be a long day for the home team, as the sets felt drawn out right from the off.

Birmingham’s finest was taken to a tense tie-break in the first set of the day but, tough as always, he weathered the early test and emerged with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over the Finnish underdog who looked to be playing well above form.

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Evans’ stamina and resilience were a big factor in their dominant display in the qualifiers last September too, but energy levels can only take you so far and after a tiring first match, Finland piled on the pressure in the doubles fixture where he and partner Neal Skupski just couldn’t quite survive two tie-break sets.

The 34-year-old duo were truly put to the test but, fortunately, the game was already a bit of a dead rubber, as the real star of the show came in the form of surprising debutant Billy Harris from Nottingham, who impressed everyone with his emphatic performance against in the other singles fixture beforehand.

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Harris only earned his first ATP Tour win last year and is admittedly a bit of a latecomer to the party, but his journey is an inspiring one: working hard over the last 12 months and simply continuing to push so as to now earn his stripes with a Wimbledon debut earlier this year as well.

At 29, he’s at a crucial point in his prime years as an athlete, so it was important that he did his utmost to leave his mark on the GB squad at his first Davis Cup, and he tackled that objective head-on.

Notching a comprehensive 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win against Otto Virtanen – who is no slouch in this particular tournament – team captain Leon Smith said of the showing: “I’m thrilled for Billy – I think that’s one of the best debuts you’ll have seen. It was that good.”

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Even on an early afternoon mid-working week, the second day of this year’s Davis Cup managed to attract nearly 6,500 fans to the AO Arena (roughly 90% capacity), which just goes to show how much of an appetite there is for the sport here in Manchester.

The opening rounds of the competition’s return to the city after a whopping three decades late last year saw its biggest overall attendance ever in this country and it’s clear Great Britain look very at home playing here.

Our boys take on Argentina in the next round this Friday, 13 September, where hopefully the likes of Draper can come back into the fold and give the likes of Evan, who has struggled with fitness of late, a much-needed bit of rest where possible.

Even without the likes of the now-retired Andy Murray, an injured Cam Norrie and Stockport’s Liam Broady, GB still look to be one of the teams in with a really strong chance of going all the way. Is The World Cup of Tennis ‘coming home’ and just how big a maiden tournament is Billy Harris going to have?

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Billy Harris/ATP/Davis Cup (via Instagram)

Sport

Stockport County to open new club shop in heart of town centre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Stockport County to open new store

Stockport County FC will be opening a new County Store in the heart of Stockport, selling official merch and tickets.

The club has announced it’s taking on a unit at the Merseyway shopping centre, close to the former Debenhams building.

From its new ground-floor location, Stockport County will be able to offer supporters even more access to the club, stocking a wide range of official merchandise including exclusive products and new releases.

Merseyway has welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors in a single week over the summer – a record-breaker – and the new Stockport County club shop will join new arrivals like Søstrene Grene, Lovisa, Grape Tree, and Shoe Zone.

Gavin Bailey, CEO of Stockport County said: “We’re delighted to be opening another County Store in the heart of Stockport town centre.

“As a Club, it is really important that we continue to strengthen our presence across the borough and make it as easy as possible for supporters to engage with County.

“Merseyway sits at the heart of a thriving town centre and this new location will give supporters a really convenient way to shop for County merchandise or purchase tickets whenever they are in town.

“It is also an incredibly exciting time for this part of Stockport. There is significant investment taking place across the town centre and the plans for Mersey Square will completely transform the area immediately surrounding our new store.

“We’re really pleased to be playing a small part in that wider regeneration and establishing another permanent County presence right in the centre of the town.

“We’re also looking forward to working alongside the fantastic network of retailers and businesses already based here. We have received tremendous support from the Stockport business community over recent years and we’re proud to be joining them.

““”We want the store to feel unmistakably County, with exclusive merchandise, new product ranges and plenty more planned as we continue to develop our retail offering.”

Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills at Stockport Council, said: “Stockport County means a great deal to so many people, so it is brilliant to see the club bringing a new store into the town centre. County are a huge part of Stockport’s story and identity, and this move is a real vote of confidence in the town centre as a place where people want to be.

“The store is a welcome addition to Merseyway and will bring something distinctive and proudly Stockport to the retail offer. As our £2bn regeneration programme continues to reshape the town centre, it is important that we celebrate the businesses that make Stockport special and County is absolutely one of them.”

Victoria Nichol, Centre Manager at Merseyway Shopping Centre, said: “Stockport County is a huge part of this town, so having a County Store at Merseyway will be a significant addition for us and for the town centre. It will put the club right in the heart of Stockport and give supporters a new place to visit beyond match days.

“Merseyway is going from strength to strength. We’ve welcomed new retailers, seen record footfall over the summer and built a year-round programme of events that bring people into the centre. The County Store will add to that momentum, joining a fantastic mix of high street brands, independent businesses and community spaces.”

Further details, including the opening date and opening hours for the new County Store, will be confirmed in due course.

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Featured image: Stockport County

Sport

Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027

Lydia Mastrolonardo Lydia Mastrolonardo

Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.

Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.

And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.

Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.

BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.

Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. 

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To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.

Get tickets when they go live here.

Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)

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