Murray Carries British Hopes In Davis Cup Final

Andy Murray has been partnered with Kyle Edmund for Friday’s Davis Cup final singles matches against Belgium in Ghent.

Bemelmans is only the third highest ranked of the Belgian players and the suspicion is captain Johan Van Herck may be saving number two Steve Darcis for the doubles and a decisive fifth rubber should it come down to it.

And on home soil in Glasgow in September, just after Jamie and Peers had made the final of the US Open, the Murray brothers won in five pulsating sets against Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth.

Like Murray and Bemelmans, this will be a first meeting between Edmund and Goffin, and the Belgian number one admitted he is somewhat in the dark.

Great Britain is trying to win its 10th Davis Cup title, first since Fred Perry helped to claim the trophy in 1936.

John Lloyd will be in the commentary box when Britain face Belgium in tomorrow’s Davis Cup final, presumably sitting more comfortably than he was five years ago in Vilnius when the country’s fortunes were sinking to a new low. David Goffin is expected to go 1-1 leaving Darcis (and Kimmer Coppejans) to try and beat the Murray brothers in the doubles.

‘This will definitely be the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of and the biggest occasion.

Andy Murray plays tennis for a living, and he doesn’t plan on being afraid of doing his job.

But hitting up with Andy Murray ahead of his opener against the talented David Goffin, Edmund looked confident, and he sounded ready to step up to what, on paper, was a formidable challenge against the 24-year-old Goffin.

If backing an odds-on shot, I’d much prefer the 4/6 about GB winning the tie in the fourth rubber – that’s exactly how captain Leon Smith will have things panning out in his own mind. But you have to be able to communicate well with different people; you have to be able to manage a team, which I think is what Leon Smith has done extremely well. “They’ve played with such quality in the last two ties”.

Federer, however, believes Belgium should not be dismissed, especially with world number 16 David Goffin in their ranks. “I think we’ll have a full stadium of 13,000 screaming fans pulling for their team”, Haggerty said this week.

Some British fans have decided against making the trip to Belgium because of the security situation in nearby Brussels, while Tim Henman will also be staying at home instead of bringing his family. “Looking at it as Belgium versus me is actually counterproductive to them, if that’s the case”.

However, it could just as easily be argued that a surprise win for Edmund would all but determine the tie after just one match, with Murray involved in the next three rubbers.

Britain’s hopes clearly depend on Murray adjusting to clay after playing on a hard indoor surface in London two weeks ago at the ATP finals.

He explained: “I think where Kyle’s ranking sits now, and he’s very comfortable on this surface, is why we’re starting that way”.

NL Leisure’s tennis development officer Grant Shearer said: “It’s been brilliant to have Judy here with us”.

“But that is why, when I left school at 17-18, and wasn’t going to college or university, it was coaching, because obviously I wasn’t going to make any money playing”, he added.

Belgium thought they had found a male player to carry the baton from former women’s world No. 1s Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, but great expectations proved to be a burden.