Goffin opens against Edmund in Davis Cup final

World number two Murray will make his final bow against Ruben Bemelmans – the world number 108 – in the second singles match, before joining forces with his brother Jamie for Saturday’s doubles match.

For the reverse singles on Sunday, Murray will take on Goffin in a battle of the two top players with Bemelmans against Edmund to follow.

Great Britain is bidding to win its 10th Davis Cup title, although this would be its first since Fred Perry helped to claim the trophy in 1936.

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.

While Davis Cup fever grips both Belgium and Great Britain, the rest of the world can be excused being rather non-plussed by this year’s final.

None yet has won but Edmund, a comfortingly cool customer with a big game, brings to the tie opener against Goffin the confidence of a solid recent campaign on clay in South America, and a win over the accomplished Carlos Berlocq in a Challenger final in Buenos Aires. “It was obviously a bit concerning a few days ago”, Murray said.

“This will be the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of, it’s a new experience for me”, Edmund, looking composed at a packed news conference, told reporters. “I think we’ll have a full stadium of 13,000 screaming fans pulling for their team”, Haggerty said this week.

Edmund’s inexperience of such pressure-cooker environments is something Britain’s opponents are already playing on with former Belgian pro Filip Dewulf saying: “I could understand if James Ward was picked”.

“It’s about getting a kid who wants to play for Manchester United to want to play tennis instead. Another surface. I just have to forget that match and think about the matches this weekend”.

“People assume he is going to win, but he still has to do it and that puts more pressure on him”.

“I don’t know him a lot”.

The team spearheaded by Andy Murray face Belgium for the biggest prize in team tennis, with captain Leon Smith set to announce the country’s second singles representative at a press conference this lunchtime. We prepared as best we can and I trust everyone in the team from all of the staff to all of the players.

“I also believe in all of the players in our team”.

The Yorkshireman, 20, has been handed the task of playing the opening match against Belgium No. 1 David Goffin.

“I’m pumped”, Murray said.

Throwing himself 100% into every tie, he has won eight out of the nine points Britain has needed to get to the final, winning all six of his singles matches and two of the doubles with his older brother Jamie.

Edmund’s title came this very month on Argentina’s clay, which was enough to clinch the deal, though Smith can substitute Ward come Sunday if the occasion demands. “But it’s a good problem and it’s exciting”. We ll have this one at home also. Murray, trying to downplay all the security threats and focus on tennis, could become the third player in history to complete a flawless 8-0 record in Davis Cup singles rubbers in a single year.