Britain and Belgium tied 1-1 after opening day in Davis Cup

Britain’s Andy Murray, right, and his brother Jamie Murray discuss tactics during their doubles Davis Cup final tennis match against Belgium’s Steve Darcis and David Goffin at the Flanders Expo in Ghent, Belgium, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

Andy Murray saved that with a big first serve and in the next game a missed smash from Darcis gave the British pair their first set point which they took after Andy Murray got the better of Darcis at the net. But, yeah, I’m not getting ahead of myself.

No doubt Murray will be encouraged by how Edmund won those two sets against Goffin by clumping his forehand. But the two have never met on clay. “Picking Goffin didn’t surprise us and we knew it would be a dogfight but our boys played better throughout and produced an excellent performance yet again”.

“I don’t think it’s as important as in some of the ties”.

“I’m ready to give everything”.

And star player Goffin, the world No 16, backed up those comments and insisted he can manage a third match in three days – against Andy Murray in the fourth rubber.

“I’m still confident”, Goffin told reporters.

At one-all in the second, the home crowd erupted as the Belgians earned a break-point opportunity on Jamie’s serve.

Steve Darcis and Kimmer Coppejans were named for the doubles in the initial Belgian line-up, but the latter is likely to be replaced by David Goffin or Ruben Bemelmans.

Concerns were raised before the contest regarding the elder Murray’s serving prowess on clay and those worries appeared valid early on as his first game went to deuce following an excellent groundstroke from Darcis.

“It’s a hard day tomorrow”. “We’re a strong team, and we’re going to try to solve this together. There’s a huge task ahead of us”.

“This Davis Cup final is not only about Murray against Goffin on Sunday”, Van Herck added. Indeed, only five of 42 finals since the abolition of the competition’s challenge round in 1972 have been won by the team which lost the doubles.

In the end though, it didn’t matter as Murray cruised to a straight sets win. He jumped around wildly, clenching his fist and pointing it at British supporters.

“To play in a Davis Cup final with your brother and to win a point for your country is great”.

“We may never get the chance to do that again. So have to enjoy that”.

A Darcis double fault at deuce in the ensuing game paved the way for a break and then Jamie Murray withstood seven break points to hold for 3-1. It was plain that whichever team gathered that set would take command of the rubber, and therefore of the final. The Britons came perilously close to a break back, with Jamie defending seven break points, but an inspired volley victor from Andy and the break was consolidated, 3-1.

The other three players all saw their serves broken at least once – four times, in the case of Darcis, who is carrying a wrist injury and is expected to have an operation before long.

Andy Murray trailed 0-30 on serve in the second game but escaped.

“You could argue it will not decide the tie, but it’s a good position to be in, winning the doubles”, Britain captain Leon Smith said.

“They did very, very well today”.

After almost forty minutes of play the score remained at 4-4, with both Belgium and Great Britain having held their serves with relative ease throughout the opening 10 games.