“There’s something more emotional and draining about playing in the final so on paper he should win, and on paper they should win the doubles, but it’s at the end of the year and everyone is quite exhausted”.
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For one Briton in particular, victory could complete a quartet of extraordinary achievements.
“Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas fit perfectly within our roster of exciting, high profile sponsorships”, said Anthony Werkman, Marketing and Operations Director of Betway.
And Murray’s personal commitment to his team’s success can not not be overstated.
The man in charge of the recovery since Vilnius is the team captain, Leon Smith, who was Andy Murray’s coach for part of his teenage years.
“I know when you win a slam or a big competition, it’s years, obviously, in the works”.
Take the quarter-finals against France after Wimbledon, which had Murray on his knees with exhaustion by its conclusion.
But a particular low point came five years ago when James Ward, Dan Evans, Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski were humbled 3-2 by Lithuania in Vilnius in Europe/Africa Zone Group II.
If Belgium are to win their first Davis Cup, Goffin will likely need to beat Murray in their singles rubber. Little wonder, perhaps, that one of he first questions posed to Murray was about security.
“From my personal experience of taking the Eurostar, coming into Lille, travelling by vehicle here, having lunch in town, walking around and seeing the sights, I feel very comfortable”.
Security worries delayed the British team’s arrival by 24 hours.
“We’ve taken so many steps at the stadium to make sure we have the best plan in place”.
Federer’s career rival Rafael Nadal also backed Britain to win this year’s Davis Cup.
“I think once we got here and got into the hotel, came to the venue and saw what it was like here, I think that made everyone a lot more comfortable”. Here in Ghent, everything seems fine.
“I do think the court is good”, he told a news conference on Tuesday. Obviously that changes the way the court plays and the way the ball travels through the air. Maybe Great Britain depends a lot on Andy because he needs to play the three matches.
Murray, who will finish the year ranked second in the world behind Novak Djokovic, is on a crash course to get himself adapted to playing on indoor clay after a week spent on a hardcourt in London for the World Tour Finals. I think the whole country will be behind us and we will try to keep the trophy here.
“I think clay is the right surface (choice). But we’re here, training and ready to play on Friday”. “I’m looking forward to it”.
But asked about what it would mean for him to complete that quartet of achievements, Murray was, as is his way, keen to credit the entire network of players and back-room support that has got him and GB to this position. It would be well-deserved, as well. But this is a bit different.
“It’s consumed more of each day than you would want, and it’s important to communicate with both teams so they know what’s developing as well”.
– 12th meeting between Belgium and Great Britain.
– Great Britain won their previous encounter in 1963, 5-0-on clay in Brussels.
Andy Murray’s friend and former Davis Cup teammate, Tim Henman, has revealed that winning the competition “is not something that Andy would have dreamed about as a youngster”. Then again, Belgium is at home.
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The British team defeated the United States, France and Australia to reach the a first final since 1978.
