Murray highlighted the 2013 victory over Russian Federation, one he was not involved in, as key to the team’s rise. After a brief hug with first his opponent and then Belgian captain Johan van Hercke, only then did Murray allow himself to really let his feelings flow.
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Goffin, ranked No. 16, had not won a set against Murray in two previous matches on the tour. “I imagine it will take a few days before it really sinks in”, 28-year-old Andy said.
“Obviously I will try as much as I can for next year”.
“I wasn’t thinking about the year as a whole, literally just that moment when you hit the winning shot and win the match”.
“It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition”, he added.
“I know this team extremely well”.
Great Britain’s historic Davis Cup triumph in Belgium should lead to an unprecedented surge in interest in the game, according to those who steered the team to their previous final in 1978. “It would have been a hard one to lose so it’s a great way to end the year”. Now they sit on top of the world.
The Olympic champion won both of his singles matches against Belgium and the doubles with brother Jamie.
“It has to be one of the best achievements of all time”, Smith is quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard. “Maybe we’ll play a couple more events next year together to get ready for that”, Andy said. “I rocked him a bit and I did everything I could”.
“It’s pretty much been the same team for the whole time (since then)”.
And Smith was right, Murray was keen to praise his teammates. “That’s the best a team can be, when you have a star player who wants to see the rest of the team play as well and participate”.
The Times’s Dickinson said: “Soon there were six British players accepting their personal trophies, but it is Murray who has put Britain, improbably, on the summit of the tennis world”. The match against Goffin lasted almost three hours for Murray and he was able to pull through to clinch the title for Britain. The Scot reached the final for the fourth time this year but again came away on the losing side.
The two wins Murray recorded in his singles rubbers on Friday and Sunday combined with his crucial doubles success alongside brother Jamie on Saturday ensured a first win in the competition in 79 years.
“I was pumped the entire match”, he said.
“That’s obviously my next big goal”.
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“Even people that don’t normally watch tennis would have enjoyed the weekend because of the atmosphere and when it’s for your country, people get into it as well, so I hope the governing body capitalises”.
