Britain’s last final was in 1978, when it lost 4-1 to the United States.
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Top players Andy Murray and David Goffin both won their opening singles for Britain and Belgium in the Davis Cup final in Ghent on Friday (Nov 27), but in contrasting styles. Darcis will play Saturday’s doubles with Kimmer Coppejans and could possibly come into contention again should the final go to a fifth rubber on Sunday.
Edmund had shed any lingering nerves with that first game on the board and he attacked his opponent’s serve with youthful vigour, claiming his first break after a rash return from Goffin.
But when the pride of your country is at stake the spirit can do extraordinary things.
ANDY Murray has warned Davis Cup rivals Belgium not to dismiss Great Britain as a one-man team. Of the two, it was Goffin who had stage-fright.
“Obviously I want to play every time for my country”. He prevailed despite receiving a point penalty for an audible obscenity, a moment that temporarily lifted Bemelmans.
Police sniffer dogs will be in operation and fans won’t be allowed to take bags to their seats. Still, the format, which sees two singles matches on Friday, the reverse singles on Sunday, and a doubles contest in between, could yet see Ward utilized as an alternative, likely on the final day of singles.
The crowd whistled and jeered as Murray and team captain Leon Smith pleaded their case at the changeover but the Scot was rattled and dropped serve on his next match, much to the delight of the home support.
He said: ” Throughout the year we’re having to deal with jetlag and travel.
But Ward, like Bemelmans, could be classified a journeyman.
After levelling the match, Goffin knocked off the last six games in quick time. He won Challengers on clay.
Thus, despite the outcome Friday, he always appeared to be the better choice.
The final began with a 12-minute game in which Goffin wasted two break points, shanking one forehand into the roof girders, then saw him completely overwhelmed for more than an hour by a free-swinging 20-year-old with a thunderbolt forehand.
Was a comeback on the cards?
“This is a different setting on a different surface with a very different crowd that is going to be on our side, “said world no. 16 Goffin”. Goffin looked well off as he fell behind 0-30 to open up the second, but he found a way to hold for 1-0.
“It’s pretty much what we expected”, Murray said of the result after day one. Edmund committed 11 unforced errors in the third.
And the Belgian levelled matters by racing through the fourth set 6-1 to set up a thrilling finale. “He was really aggressive with his forehand”.
“From the beginning, I was a little bit tight also”.
Whoever was picked, the pressure would still have been overwhelmingly on Murray to win all his rubbers. I had the chance in the third set. I don’t know how he’s playing. Edmund, suffering from cramp, effectively threw in the towel and when it was him who began to double fault, it was game over.
“At the end I was very upset emotionally”, said Edmund.
“As you say, it turned. You feel like you’ve let them down”. So when I lost the point, I just went up and asked the umpire why.
One wonders how he’ll react to the defeat.
Goffin was clearly feeling that pressure and Edmund, the shackles off his thumping forehand, showed just why he has been Britain’s most highly-rated young player for a number of years. That can be troublesome for Murray’s back.
Yet he never really got close to Murray until the third. He recovered for 4-4, but Bemelmans earned a set point at 5-4.
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He’ll be called upon again Saturday.
