In the first singles encounter, 16th ranked David Goffin came from 2 sets down to defeat 100th ranked Kyle Edmund 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 in two hours and 47 minutes to give Belgium a 1-0 lead. Picking three singles players means, barring injury or illness, Andy Murray will have to play on all three days and Great Britain are 6/1 for a 3-2 win as they aim for a first Davis Cup title since 1936.
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The decision seemed to pay off at the start of the match, however.
However, Jamie’s level was still very up and down and when he fell 15-40 down on serve in the next game he chopped deep into the net and the set was back on serve. Flashing the bling: Her £200,000 engagement ring & wedding band from her teenage sweetheart was on full show as she cheered him on from the stands Blonde beauty: Highlighting her blue eyes, Murray wore a lashing of eyeliner with a coating of mascara as she opted for nude lips Wedding ring: Sporting a scarlet manicure, the British artist, who specialises in animal portraiture, wore her lovely ring with a little silver braceletThe Sussex College graduate is ’cause of give birth to her 1st child with husband Andy in February, after the news source was reported in August.
Andy Murray will play Goffin, with Kyle Edmund scheduled to face Ruben Bemelmans in the final match.
With sloppy play on both sides, the third set saw five breaks of serve before Andy Murray closed it out with a service victor. It was plain that whichever team gathered that set would take command of the rubber, and therefore of the final. Darcis’s delivery was proving equally vulnerable though and Britain pounced to move 5-3 ahead and Andy Murray, Britain’s Mr, Reliable, held firm. He also had to save a set point after double-faulting in the 10th game and celebrated wildly.
And, after reflecting on his doubles triumph alongside his brother on Saturday afternoon, Murray was now refocusing on Sunday’s clash.
Anyone who expected GB to romp to a straightforward victory from that point were left disappointed, though, as the Belgian duo – who have never lined up together in a doubles match before – broke once more at the third time of asking after a double fault from Jamie Murray opened the door.
With Jamie serving, the Murrays had to fend off seven break points but they dug deep to hold and from there they pushed on to victory, Darcis going wide on the second match point. The man from Belgium kept plugging away and earned a set point at 5-4 up on the Murray serve but was unable to do anything with a forehand return and sent it over the tramlines. “Didn’t expect to be there, but we knew if David could find his game, he could win three sets in a row”.
Belgium never recovered from the game, and Andy Murray eventually served out the win. “We were shouting to each other at times but it’s brilliant”, Jamie said on court as a brass band led a rendition of “We’re gonna win the Cup”. “It was a great tactical mix-up”, he said.
Murray said: “Obviously, it was good to get it done in four sets and fantastic to win the match, but I don’t feel that high right now”. We have two chances to try and win it tomorrow and if you have offered us that at the start we would have taken it.
On Sunday, Andy will have the chance to secure that third point and, for the first time in 79 years, help the United Kingdom claim the Davis Cup title.
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“We may not get the outcome, but it won’t be through the lack of trying or caring from anyone in the team”.
