I still think we have a very good chance in both of the matches still to play.
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Andy Murray will take on Goffin first for victory in the first reverse singles rubber overnight. Even the PA system continued to thump with music as the players readied for the fourth set.
The next game proved to be an absolute epic, as Belgium had no less than seven break chances but couldn’t find a way to win the game.
“I believe in me and Jamie as a doubles team, as well”, said Andy after he defeated Ruben Bemelmans in straight sets to level the final at 1-1 after Friday’s opening singles.
Some 126 nations entered Davis Cup this year, but one family from a small town in Stirlingshire could be about to win a competition that styles itself as “the World Cup of tennis”.
Edmund, ranked 100th in the world, 84 places lower than Goffin had his opponent on the ropes for the first two sets before running out of steam and allowing the Belgian to totally dominate the rest of the rubber.
The tie was 1-1 overnight after Murray and Goffin won the opening day singles. “I believe in myself, I believe in me and Jamie as a doubles team, as well”, he added.
If Andy Murray downs Goffin, the trophy can officially be hoisted.
His brother, who contemplated retirement two years ago before relaunching his doubles career to great effect with John Peers before parting company with the Australian this month, was similarly moved by the occasion – so much so, he admitted, that nerves strangled his game at the start of the match. I feel pretty relaxed. He played a wonderful match. “But we made the adjustments and we finished the match really strong, I think”.
“I have nothing to lose, it’s 2-1 in the tie”.
“That was why I went to speak to the umpire, because literally I had no idea about either of the warnings because you can’t hear anything on the court”.
Jamie Murray, a mixed doubles grand slam champion and finalist in men’s doubles at Wimbledon this year, was always the more vulnerable brother on serve.
The Murray boys maintained their record of never losing as a doubles team in the Davis Cup against Belgium’s two highest ranked singles players.
With the set under the belt, Andy Murray jumped wildly up and down, clenching his fist and pointing it at British supporters.
Foam fingers burst into the air with every point, red for Belgium and blue for the U.K. The bleachers shook slightly as the Murrays faced break point at 4-all in the first set.
With the spring back in legs that seemed set in concrete earlier, and his shoulders released, Goffin began to feed off the energy of the 13,000 crowd and Edmund wilted. The Murray’s would grab it; not only breaking the Goffin serve, but grabbing the set 6-4. The Brit looked to be feeling the pace of the match now and at 2 games all he lost 4 games on the bounce to surrender the third set. It was tough to manage it because I didn’t know Kyle before the match, how he plays.
It was more of the same in the second set from Murray as he ran Bemelmans ragged around the court and went on to take the set 6-2.
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Asked how reassuring it was to see his brother alongside him in a match of such pressure, Jamie said with a wry smile: “I t’s probably more reassuring for me than it is for him”.
