Davis Cup: Murray brothers one point to historic win for Britain

Davis Cup: Murray brothers one point to historic win for Britain

Saturday, November 28, 2015 11:03 pm


Andy and Jamie Murray after defeating the Belgians

Andy and Jamie Murray after defeating the Belgians

Andy and Jamie Murray took Britain to the cusp of Davis Cup glory in Ghent on Saturday, defeating David Goffin and Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a crucial doubles match to grab a 2-1 lead with just the reverse singles to follow.

Andy Murray could get the job done when he takes on Goffin in the first of those rubbers on Sunday, giving Britain its first Davis Cup win since 1936 and 10th overall.

Both number ones won their opening matches on Friday and the win for the Murray brothers on Saturday means that Andy is now 10-0 in Davis Cup play this year.

“We just needed to find a way to win more points on Jamie’s return side, we got more aggressive and started to turn it around,” he said.

“It was a great tactical mix-up. I will prepare like any other match for tomorrow. He (Goffin) is a world class player with the crowd behind him it will be a difficult match for me.

“We have two chances to try and win it tomorrow and if you have offered us that at the start we would have taken it.”

If Goffin upsets Murray in the first of the reverse singles to level the score at 2-2 the final will go down to the wire.

For the moment Ruben Bemelmans, who lost to Murray on Friday, is scheduled to take on Kyle Edmund, who lost to Goffin, in the final rubber.

But there could be changes if the final is still alive with Darcis thought to be likely to play for the Belgians and possibly James Ward for Britain.

Murray can do away with any of those permutations by defeating Goffin, who he beat for the loss of just one game at the Paris Masters earlier this month.

The Belgians though said they still believed they could bounce back and win the Davis Cup for the first time in its 115-year history.

“It’s a difficult day tomorrow. But as a team we have to believe, we have to stand up, we have to fight,” said team captain Johan van Herck.

“Not a lot of people gave us a chance to win against Argentina (3-2) in the semis, and we did it. So now tomorrow there’s a huge task ahead of us.

“We’re all going to be ready to fight again. Anything can happen in the Davis Cup.

 

 


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