But the visitors now have both hands on the trophy – which they last won in 1936 – after Murray and older brother Jamie combined to defeat David Goffin and Steve Darcis 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 on Saturday evening.
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With the best-of-five-match tie leveled at one apiece and Andy Murray in Great Britain’s team, Belgium needed to win to realistically keep alive its chances of claiming a maiden title – since the second-ranked Murray is expected to win the opening reverse singles Sunday. We got our rewards.
On Saturday Murray will be back on court again with his brother Jamie in the doubles.
Belgium’s Goffin was hoping to record a victory against against Edmund to give Belgium first blood in the first rubber of the final. “I believe we can win the tie – obviously – otherwise there’d be no point us being here”.
Concerns were raised before the contest regarding the elder Murray’s serving prowess on clay and those worries appeared valid early on as his first game went to deuce following an excellent groundstroke from Darcis.
Yet the 20-year-old stormed out to a two set lead, unleashing an aggressive and precise forehand that shunted his opponent onto the back foot. I’m ready if I have to play tomorrow and Sunday. At 4-4 the world No 2 saved the first break point of the match with a service victor and when Goffin served at 4-5 in the following game he converted Britain’s first break point with a sharp volley. In the modern-day format of the event no player has ever finished a year unbeaten and with 11 victories in live rubbers, but the Scot will achieve exactly that if he secures Britain’s first triumph in the historic team competition for 79 years. It was looking very desperate for the Belgium and he was looking unlikely to even take a set against a determined Murray.
“I’m not getting ahead of myself”, he said.
The tie was 1-1 overnight after Murray and Goffin won the opening day singles. “It will be a tough match but me and Jamie have played some good doubles before and hopefully we can do the same tomorrow”.
Edmund said that he had felt he had the game to beat Goffin, especially as the match was on clay – a surface he enjoys playing on. But I don’t feel that sort of high right now.
“I think for every tennis player, it’s a position he wants to be in”.
And in the very next game, Darcis misfired on a smash at deuce to give Great Britain a set point, which it converted.
“I’m experienced enough now to not allow it to bother me, and try to use it to my advantage as much as I can”, he said.
“Obviously to play in a Davis Cup Final with your brother and to win a point for your country is obviously great”. I knew if Kyle was playing like this, bravo, but if there was a small chance I had to take it. He played really heavy and I was surprised. Momentum appeared to be shifting, and following another dominant serve game, Britain moved back in front thanks to a superb volley from Jamie Murray.
Over the course of the season, Jamie Murray has played four matches of great magnitude.
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The brothers slipped behind in the third set after losing the second but with Andy’s reliability holding the fort while Jamie’s usually lethal volleying skills temporarily went missing, it all turned out okay in the end. The Murray’s would grab it; not only breaking the Goffin serve, but grabbing the set 6-4.
