Andy Murray will tackle Pella in Sunday’s penultimate singles match before Edmund, who reached the fourth round at the US Open, and world number 64 Del Potro bring the curtain down.
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Having suffered defeat in both singles rubbers yesterday, the hosts knew nothing but a win would do and they halved the deficit to 2-1 with a battling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
Captain Leon Smith said he felt the Murray brothers had given everyone a lift. However, Dan Evans was also in good form in NY as he succumbed to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka following a five-set battle in the third round.
“Yesterday was a very tough day”.
In these conditions and given his strong form which saw him topple seed Richard Gasquet and John Isner at the recent US Open, I’d expect the British youngster to see off Pella, who has won only one match since the start of the grasscourt season in June.
The big question for the Argentines, however, is whether the eight hours Del Potro has spent on court already in this tie will affect him on Sunday in a potential tie-deciding match-up against the inexperienced but talented Edmund.
This was just their fourth match together, including a humdrum 2004 outing back in Buenos Aires.
Belgium, last year’s runners-up, also secured their World Group status thanks to a 3-0 victory over Brazil in Belgium.
Gordon Murray, the father of Andy and Jamie’s father Willie, died last week.
In a repeat of the Olympic Games final, which Murray won, Del Potro boomed down a plethora of forehands that caused his opponent no end of problems, and his big serve came to the fore at important moments – his 19th ace sealing victory.
A typically rousing welcome was the precursor to these two exiled products of Dunblane starting this match like a train, with the elder sibling, his third major win tucked neatly into his kit bag, the senior partner. Edmund, who was the hero of Team GB’s quarterfinal upset of Serbia in Belgrade, or Dan Evans, who does not possess the power of Edmund, but is a quicker player with a more versatile game?
Del Potro looked favourite to take the second as well but Murray did what Murray does, saving a break point at 4-4 and then creating two set points in the 12th game.
Andy was well below his best level and urged the crowd to provide some much-needed energy.
These extraordinary Scottish brothers ignored the omens and made their own luck.
Only twice in 117 years of Davis Cup competition have Great Britain come from 2-0 down to win the tie: against Germany in 1930 and against Russian Federation three years ago in Coventry, where Evans, not far from his home city Birmingham, played a crucial role.
Were a similarly-tough match unfold in the faster indoor conditions of Glasgow and Del Potro edge it, Smith’s gamble could be exposed.
“We want to try to do it again this year if possible”.
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“In the end I played good forehands and good serves and that was key”. Two-one down is closer than we were at the start of the day.
