FIRST the world, then the Olympics. Dunblane's favourite double act maintained their 100 per cent record from their five Davis Cup rubbers together with this straightforward 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win against Yasutaka Uchiyama and Yoshihito Nishioka which gave Great Britain a priceless 2-1 advantage in their first round match against Japan. They then set their sights on bringing back some bling from Rio in August.

The display was utterly in keeping with the three wins Andy and Jamie Murray compiled in Britain's glory run of 2015; the only surprise was that they didn't encounter more difficult opposition. While Andy answered the call to play all three days, Japan decided to keep their big gun in reserve.

Despite Kei Nishikori's insistence that he would like to play, Minoro Ueda, the taciturn leader of this Japanese outfit, decided it was wisest to keep his powder dry. Whether he was regretting that decision or not last night, it is worth noting Nishikori doesn't tend to play Davis Cup doubles very frequently, or particularly well. Instead, he is now primed for fresh deployment in today's opening reverse singles rubber against Andy Murray.

Win that singles showdown - the highest ranked player Andy Murray has met in Davis Cup singles - and Great Britain will have booked a quarter- final shot at either Serbia or Kazakhstan in June. But the Brits feel they have an insurance policy in any case, in the form of the fifth rubber between Dan Evans and Taro Daniel. And as nervous as everyone had been about over-extending the younger Murray's body as he comes off a 33-day lay-off where he became a father for the first time, in truth he is still at the stage where more, rather than less, game time, is a blessing.

"For me it probably helps, because I haven't played for five weeks," said Andy, who has won five and lost one, albeit their only previous indoor meeting, against Nishikori. "Kei played in Memphis and Acapulco so he has played a bunch the last few weeks while I haven't. It helps me to get my eye in on returns and gain a bit more confidence on my serve."

While Leon Smith's reshuffle meant Dom Inglot being relegated once again to the role of cheerleader, the Great Britain captain is truly blessed that he can now call on two No 2s. Not only is Andy Murray at a career high as the world's second best singles player, Jamie - on the strength of his first major win in his preferred event in Australia with new partner Bruno Soares - can now call himself the world's second best doubles player.

The Murray brothers won three times together during Britain's glory run in 2015 but their Olympic form guide as a pairing isn't exactly auspicious. They won just one round together in Beijing in 2008 and none in London in 2012. Nonetheless, both men sat down last night and contemplated the thought of Olympic medals.

"It is not really something we have sat down and talked about but I think it is on the radar," said Jamie. "We have had two Olympics where it hasn't gone so well so for both of us I think it is a huge opportunity to do well. I'm playing a lot better than I have done at any other point. We will be doing our best to win as many matches as we can and get a medal."

"If both of us play our best level we would have an opportunity," Andy added. "The more matches we play in these sort of environments will make us more comfortable if we are in a position to win a medal. But at the same time, when you look at the draw sheet in the Olympics there are some fantastic teams in there. We would have about a 5% chance of winning the gold medal ... but that is better than zero."

That was more chance as their opposition had yesterday. Right-hander Uchiyama, a 23-year-old from Sapporo, is the more established doubles player, while Nishioka, aged just 20 and standing just 5ft 7in, has a singles ranking of 124. The younger Murray sibling had served as efficiently as ever during his dismissal of Taro Daniel on Friday and there was more of the same here, plus a level of returning which no other play on court could replicate. After a coin toss conducted by a Glaswegian boy called Ethan Ellor, from Rutherglen tennis club, one of a group of Scottish youngsters here yesterday in the company of Judy Murray, four unreturned serves from Andy gave Britain the opening game. The first two of them were aces, one flying past Uchiyama, the next demoralising Nishioka.

Serving became a chore for the diminutive Nishioka as this one went on. He had two deuces to endure before levelling matters at 2-2, but when the younger Murray brother smoked a backhand return up the line on break point Britain had a 5-3 lead. Typically, the 28-year-old served out the set without anxiety.

The second set was even more one sided. While the taller Uchiyama is a handy player, another scorching return from Andy saw him surrender serve in the opening game of the set, and soon enough, with Nishioka faltering again, it was a double break at 5-2. This time it was Jamie, called for a foot fault earlier in the set, who served matters out.

Nishikori made an appearance courtside during the third set, watching Nishioka slither off the hook when serving at 3-3, but soon Uchiyama wasn't so lucky. From 40-15 up, some canny returning from both Murray brothers saw his serve broken, and an ace on match point from Andy sealed the deal.

While the Japanese camp said the meeting between the world No 2 and No 6 was "everything" and their man was fresher, Smith was having none of it. "I know who I would want going out for my team," he said.