DAVIS CUP DUEL
Andy Murray is planning to come back from his five-set defeat to Kei Nishikori in the US Open with a big performance for Great Britain as their Davis Cup defence reaches the semi-final stage against Argentina (from Friday, BBC2, Eurosport). Key to the fixture will be Murray’s expected meeting with Juan Martín del Potro – a rematch of the Rio 2016 final when the Briton won his second gold medal. Also to GB’s advantage is Kyle Edmund coming into the match from a very strong showing at Flushing Meadows, where he reached the fourth round and was beaten by Novak Djokovic, who has tipped him to break into the top 30 of the world rankings. The 21-year-old from Beverley was instrumental in beating Serbia in the quarter-finals when Murray was absent.
LEICESTER IN EUROPE
Leicester’s grand adventure begins on Wednesday when the Premier League champions take on Belgium’s Club Brugge in their first Champions League match. Fortunately for fans who have yet to stump up for pay TV, BT Sport will air the game for free on BT Sport Showcase (7pm). The broadcaster is also looking to encourage new subscribers with the same channel showing the rematch of last year’s rugby Premiership final as Exeter take on Saracens (Sunday, 2.30pm) plus Inter v Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Europa League (Thursday, 8pm).
MO’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN
Back from Rio, where he pulled off a remarkable Olympic double double with his 5,000 and 10,000m wins, Mo Farah returns to a no doubt rapturous welcome as he bids for a triple at the Great North Run (onSunday, BBC1, 9.30am).The event, now in its 36th year, boasts 57,000 runners, with the organisers attempting to set a world record in the number of nationalities participating. Farah leads the elite men’s field and is looking for a hat-trick having won in 2014 and 2015. In the women’s, the former world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat is among the favourites, alongside her fellow Kenyan and the 2013 winner, Priscah Jeptoo.
CRICKET CUP FINAL
Warwickshire and Surrey, both recent winners of the ECB 40 (Warwickshire in 2010 and Surrey in 2011) meet on Saturday to decide which county will take the 50-over competition for the first time in the Royal London Cup final at Lord’s (Sky Sports 2, 10am). Surrey were finalists last year, losing to Gloucestershire, and boast Kumar Sangakkara in a quality side, but Ian Bell’s Warwickshire have huge experience and will be hard to beat. A cracking climax to the season is in the offing.
BIG VOTE
Tuesday in Athens brings the blazers of European football together to vote for the successor to Michel Platini as president of Uefa. The FA is backing 68-year-old Dutchman Michael van Praag in a head-to-head contest with the Slovenian federation leader Aleksander Ceferin. The FA’s vice-chairman, David Gill, says Van Praag “would be able to provide the strong and credible leadership European football requires at a crucial moment for the global game”. France and Germany have backed Ceferin.
