Davis Cup final will go ahead in Belgium

“Hopefully they’ll be able to do that in Ghent this weekend”. “Obviously things happened that made it a bit more concerning but we’re here, training and business as normal, ready to play on Friday”.

The lockdown was still in place on Tuesday as the hunt for suspected terrorists continued, but Murray said the feeling was very different in Ghent.

FTF chief executive Gijs Kooken is in regular contact with the Belgian government and said he had “not yet had a signal that it’s not safe to organise the event”. It’s very quiet. I think it’s a really nice city.

Global Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said on Saturday he was “greatly concerned” by developments but that preparations for the tie would continue.

Ghent, roughly 40 miles from the capital, has a threat level of three and this week’s worldwide team tennis event is expected to go ahead.

The Ghent police told CNN it was also beefing up security around the match and that the military could patrol the streets alongside its officers.

The British team, led by world number two Andy Murray, are bidding to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936.

Former British number one Tim Henman, however, has cancelled his plans to attend the final.

Then came the semi-final against Australia, again in Glasgow, when the 28-year-old crushed Bernard Tomic, having won a gripping doubles five-setter with Jamie the previous day, to send Britain into the final for the first time since 1978.

The British team had been due to fly to Brussels on Sunday before travelling on to Ghent, where the tie will be held starting on Friday at the 13,000-capacity Flanders Expo.

The British squad – Andy and Jamie Murray, Dominic Inglot, Kyle Edmund and James Ward – travelled together and were joined by two hitting partners, Dan Evans and the left-hander Ken Skupski.

“Britain are the favourites, in my opinion, because they have Andy in the team”, he said. Spectators can anticipate body searches and will have to leave their bags in lockers outside the entrance to the venue as a security measure.

Henman, a veteran of 54 Davis rubbers including the immediate post 9/11 trip to Ecuador in 2001, had booked tickets to travel on Eurostar to Brussels with his wife Lucy and three daughters.

“Andy brings a calmness to me because I know what I’m going to get from him”.

“So we are going to be watching at home”.