Brothers Andy and Jamie Murray overcame Argentina in their Davis Cup semi-final doubles match on Saturday at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
Advertisement
The 29-year-old, a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro, secured Argentina’s place in their first final since 2011 with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win to clinch the best-of-five tie.
In Zadar, Croatia, Marin Cilic swatted aside Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets Sunday to send Croatia into the final for only the second time.
The 2014 US Open champion won 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to give Croatia an unassailable 3-1 lead with one singles rubber left to play.
Croatia won its only final 11 years ago away to Slovakia.
Borna Coric was scheduled to play Lucas Pouille in the final rubber.
This would prove crucial in Argentina’s jubilation as Mayer held firm to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, culminating in the spewing of emotion on court after not just a match but a weekend of heroism, courage and drama.
Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith wants Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund to produce consistent results on tour, saying the team event is “a bonus”.
Andy set up the decider yesterday by defeating Guido Pella in straight sets – his third match of a weekend in which he spent 10 hours on court – and Smith believes there is nobody more dedicated than the Scot. With Del Potro so exhausted after Friday, it was a gamble to end the tie there and then that backfired as the Murray brothers won in straight sets.
He said of the Murray brothers having to cope with the death of their grandfather: “It would for sure have been very hard, no doubt about it”.
For all the history that was made last November in Ghent, when Britain defeated Belgium to become Davis Cup champions for the first time since 1936, they are a stronger team now than they were during their 2015 title run.
“Davis Cup is just two, three – in a great year, four – times a year. Now Dan has got a chance to go out and get the job done”, Murray said.
“I played incredible tennis”. But we’ve had some great times in Davis Cup, a hell of a run.
That seemed ever more the case when Evans registered the only break of serve in the first set and Orsanic accepted that there had been cause for concern on their side of the net.
Evans, who has two decisive rubbers amongst his four Davis Cup singles wins, gave the home crowd something to cheer early on as he claimed an early break of serve on his way to winning the first set. “From now on we can dream bigger”, a delighted Spain captain Conchita Martinez said after the win. I’m really excited by what they are doing, I think it’s great.
It appeared that the tactic might bear fruit after Murray missed an early break point in the third set, and then pulled up with obvious pain in his leg.
Advertisement
“I am very proud of all the players”.
