Throughout previous year and into this, Murray’s continuous success in both singles matches and in the doubles with his brother Jamie had given Great Britain the points they needed to win matches.
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So from a downcast Friday of two singles losses, through a riotous Saturday that saw the Great Britain pull back a rubber in the doubles, and on into a thrilling fourth rubber during which Andy Murray battled with fatigue and injury to level the tie, 2-2, it all came down a fifth and deciding match.
Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer is mobbed by his teammates after his win over Britain’s Dan Evans won them the Davis Cup World Group semi-final between Britain and Argentina at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
Argentina will now face Croatia in the Davis Cup final, which takes place from November 25-27. It’s pretty raw right now for everyone.
Murray said of Del Potro’s decision not to play the last match: “I was surprised, but I think it’s understandable”.
“We managed to fulfil our dream to qualify for the final”, said the world-ranked 64 Del Potro.
The world number two, who had played over eight hours of tennis over the previous two days, had to leave the court for a medical timeout in the third set but returned to wrap up a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
But in the second set, the Mayer serving came alive-he won 20-24 first serves-and he cut out most of his errors. Croatia lost that one but it made no difference.
Earlier in Glasgow, Murray played on one good leg for the final six games of his sudden-death reverse singles against the determined Guido Pella to win 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in 2hr 11min. You know we’ve worked really hard to get to this point again but as you say we’ve had great times in Davis Cup. This was, he told us, the first time he has suffered a muscle injury of such severity, his previous significant problems having been to joints.
Evans, devastated, said: “I had a few chances but, after the first set, I wasn’t really in the match”.
“After the tie with Japan when I hadn’t played a match for a while I felt physically shattered”.
Needing to win all three remaining rubbers, Great Britain’s captain Leon Smith paired the Murray brothers in the doubles, with Del Potro and Leonardo Mayer featuring for Argentina.
“I have played so much tennis in the last few months, I need a break and I need it now”.
Andy Murray says he feared picking up an injury during the Davis Cup tie with Argentina and admits he needs to take some time off.
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The absence of a Davis Cup final the week after also means he can go through with the initial plan to go back to a full off-season training block in Miami with Ivan Lendl, like he used to have.
