The improbable tennis rise of Kazakhstan – the remote former Soviet republic bordering China where they used to test nuclear weapons and send exiles – puts those plastic Brits controversies into some kind of perspective.The country found a lot of money, seven years ago, built some very serious tennis facilities, reached the Davis Cup’s elite World Group and stayed there – without fielding a single player born within its own borders.

The Russian served for the first set at 5-4 but Diyas saved three sets points and went on to win a tiebreak 7-1.

Other nationalities joined them, like Sesil Karatantcheva, born in Bulgaria, in the women’s ranks.