The older Murray brother is more renowned for his success as a doubles specialist, but has combined successfully with Andy, most notably in winning key matches against France in the quarter-finals and Australia in the semi-finals to help Great Britain reach their first final of the event since 1978.
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Andy Murray’s participation marks Great Britain down as favourites to defeat Belgium and lift the Davis Cup, according to Roger Federer.
The latest statement from the International Tennis Federation read: “In consultation with the relevant officials and our risk assessment and security advisers, we are closely monitoring the situation in Belgium and specifically in Ghent”. I’ve played a lot of matches for them.
He added: “Here in Ghent, everything seems fine”.
“I think I’d probably disagree with that, considering he’s carried the team to the Davis Cup final”, said Henman. Not only that, but without Murray our highest ranked player would be Aljaz Bedene at 45 in the world and (in a comment on talent production, not on Bedene’s nationality) our highest ranked “home grown” player would be Kyle Edmund at 99 followed by James Ward who is 155th.
Such gambles will not be taken in Ghent this weekend though, with the nation bidding for their first Davis Cup title for 79 years.
Yet few are discussing matters so trivial as sports here, except to express surprise that the championship match against Great Britain, scheduled to begin on Friday and run for three days, is taking place at all.
“I think if Andy were being honest, he would admit that winning the Davis Cup was not something that he would have dreamed about as a youngster”. I feel like he’s the kind of guy that can handle pressure. I still don’t know how Murray won that match, but that was the pivotal point of the season for this team.
“I do think the court is good”, he told a news conference on Tuesday.
“Obviously things had happened that made it a bit more concerning”. I could be wrong, but I think the last time I played on an indoor clay court was actually against Switzerland-was like 10 years ago…
Belgium thought they had found a male player to carry the baton from former women’s world number ones Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, but great expectations proved to be a burden.
“We may not get the outcome that we want, but it won’t be through lack of trying or lack of care from anyone in the team”.
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“As a sportsman, I’m disappointed, but as an individual I took pride in the fact that my government made the right call”, India’s Vijay Amritraj said. It’s a bit like background music: you know it’s there but you’re not really listening. The year before, the final in Seville, Spain, had been staged on a grand scale between two tennis “superpowers” in Spain and the United States with daily crowds upward of 27,000. “The last five years it’s been a progression from a pretty low place in world tennis to playing for the biggest team competition”.
