The 28-year-old world number two Murray, who has nearly single-handedly put Britain on the brink of their first title since 1936, duly delivered another point, beating 108th-ranked Ruben Bemelmans 6-3 6-2 7-5 on the indoor claycourt.
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It left the tie evenly poised heading into the doubles, which so often proves crucial in a tie’s outcome. Belgium have only reached the final once and that came 111 years ago, in the early days of the competition, when they lost to what was then the British Isles team.
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. The second day is the doubles matchup between the team of Coppejans and Darcis and the Murray brothers. For he is back tomorrow for the doubles rubber in the knowledge that he definitely has to play his third match come Sunday.
“Kyle could have won today”, added the world number two. That’s possible. If he was to play at that level against Darcis, then it’s not an easy match for Darcis. Would Smith throw Edmund back into the cauldron or would he bring back James Ward, who has not been in the best of form recently but is a proven Davis Cup performer?
“The experience I’ve had close to that is probably in Paris in my (French Open) first round when I played a French guy in front of a loud French crowd”. So it’s not a gimme. “I think it will be important that the people get behind us when we’re winning, when we’re losing”. Darcis would be incredibly nervous. And trying not to get too excited or to try too hard to win every single point as obviously you won’t do that. “It’s not particularly warm in there, so it’s not that physically demanding really”.
It resulted in a long conversation between Murray and the umpire, Carlos Ramos, because the Scot had not realised he had already been warned.
“First couple of games my timing was a little bit off”, Murray said.
Andy was also forced to save a break point at 4-4 in the first set, but served it out eventually with an ace before Jamie’s dominance at the net won them a set point in the very next match.
“So I’m surprised he could hear what I was saying!” It was just disappointing that my body couldn’t hold up the way I would have liked it to. He said: “for a second warning”.
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.
Over the course of the season, Jamie Murray has played four matches of great magnitude. “I think I will be able to deal with it okay”.
Leon Smith, Britain’s captain, may have to make an equally tough decision on Sunday if the final goes to a fifth match, in which Darcis, the Belgian No 2 and a man who has never lost a deciding final rubber, should be fresh after being rested on Friday.
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“I would say the odds are about 80-20 in our favour”, says former Britain Davis Cup victor John Lloyd. “I will have to play some better tennis”.
