Andy Murray dug into his depleted energy reserves to partner brother Jamie to a crucial doubles victory in Great Britain’s Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina.
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Kyle Edmund looks likely to face Del Potro in the decisive rubber as Great Britain attempt to defend the competition they won in Ghent a year ago, with Andy Murray favourite to defeat Guido Pella in the first reverse singles on Sunday.
In Croatia, Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig toppled the favorites Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 to give Croatia a 2-1 lead over France going into the Sunday finale. Del Potro wasn’t slated to play in the doubles and was a surprise late change by Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic, especially given the player’s injury problems in recent years.
Andy Murray and Jamie Murray celebrate their doubles victory over Argentina. “We had to come out and get the win”.
Once again, the Mayer service game collapsed when it mattered and there was nearly something predatory about Andy Murray as he approached the net on the first of three break points to make sure Britain needed only one. He made a lot of returns throughout the whole match and made them work hard all of the time. “We are 2-1 down and it is a tough position to be in, but it is a better position that we were in at the beginning of the day and I still believe we can come back”.
Argentina are looking to reach their fourth final in 10 years.
The semifinal is extended to the reverse singles on Sunday, when Andy Murray is set to play Guido Pella and del Potro is down to play Kyle Edmund.
The decision to put del Potro in this doubles match (which was very unlikely for Argentina to win) didn’t look very logic, but it seems he will not play in tomorrow’s 5th rubber (as Andy will nearly for sure beat Pella), which puts Argentina in a very tough position.
The gamble to pick the 27-year-old didn’t look like paying off with the Argentine pairing initially looking like strangers on the court.
“I’m obviously exhausted just now – I know how their players will be feeling too”. If he wins, it is nearly certain the responsibility of winning the tie will fall to Dan Evans in the closing match in the Emirates Arena against Juan Martín del Potro.
Which British player has the best shot to topple 2009 US Open champion del Potro? Andy returned incredible and gave us a load of chances.
Cilic will try to win it Sunday against Richard Gasquet. Still, Murray brothers saved their best tennis for the end, taking the final 3 games to clinch the set 6-4 and retake the overall lead to 2-1. And behind Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic’s Friday wins, Australia swept Slovakia 3-0.
Britain won its first Davis title since 1936 last season, beating Belgium for the historic victory.
The world number five looked sharp as the Japanese pair ran out easy 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 winners over Artem Smirnov and Sergiy Stakhovsky in Osaka to give the home side an unassailable lead in the World Group playoff with only two rubbers remaining.
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In other ties, Canada were 2-0 up on Chile, Switzerland led Uzbekistan 2-1, Russian Federation were 1-0 to the good over Kazakhstan while Germany carved out a 2-1 lead over Poland.
