Murray Carries British Hopes In Davis Cup Final
Murray Carries British Hopes In Davis Cup Final
Brits take on Belgians in away tie
Andy Murray will attempt to end his best-ever year on a high note by bringing the Davis Cup back to Great Britain in the final against Belgium this week. The tie will be hosted in Ghent, Belgium on indoor clay.
Andy and brother Jamie Murray, who was also nominated to the team, have recently faced adversity on the court, having both been eliminated in the group stages of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals last week. However, both have enjoyed great tour-level results in 2015 – Andy will finish the year No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time, while Jamie qualified for the Final Showdown in doubles for the first time and holds a career-high No. 7 Emirates ATP Doubles Ranking.
Andy will be counted upon to do the heavy lifting for his country. By winning both singles rubbers this week, he would join John McEnroe and Mats Wilander as the only men to go 8-0 in a calendar year since the introduction of the World Group in 1981. Murray has featured in eight of the nine rubbers Great Britain has won this year.
Joining the Dunblane native on the British side are youngster Kyle Edmund (No. 100 Emirates ATP Ranking) and big-hitting Dominic Inglot (No. 23 Emirates ATP Doubles Ranking). Edmund has yet to play a live Davis Cup rubber, while Inglot is searching for a first doubles victory after losing to the USA’s Mike and Bob Bryan in 2014 and 2015.
Defending the Belgian colour in the port city of Ghent will be a familiar line-up of World No. 16 David Goffin, No. 84 Steve Darcis, No. 108 Ruben Bemelmans and No. 128 Kimmer Coppejans, the same four-man lineup which propelled Belgium to victory in the quarter-finals against Canada and in the semi-finals against Argentina. Team leader Goffin is 11-2 lifetime in Davis Cup singles appearances, and has won his past six matches. His only loss on clay was in five sets and came against Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in 2013.
Belgium has never won the Davis Cup and has not reached the final since 1904. Nine-time champions Great Britain is attempting to end a 79-year title drought.