Reuters
Ghent, Nov 29: The magnificent Murrays, Andy and Jamie, put Britain within touching distance of a first Davis Cup triumph for 79 years with a doubles victory over Belgium duo David Goffin and Steve Darcis here Saturday.
A match played out in an electrifying atmosphere ebbed and flowed before the brothers took charge to carve out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory and give Britain a 2-1 lead.
World No. 2 Andy was inspired, as he has been throughout Britain’s run to a first final since 1978, and can deliver the winning point in Sunday’s first reverse singles against Belgium’s top player Goffin.
Older brother Jamie, the seventh best doubles player in the world, struggled at times, but his nerve proved solid as he served for the match.
When Darcis screwed a forehand wide the brothers embraced and the hundreds of British fans wedged into the claustrophobic 13,000-seat arena in the Flanders Expo roared their approval. “There was so much noise, it was mental. We were shouting to each other at times but it’s brilliant,” Jamie said on court as a brass band led a rendition of ‘We’re gonna win the Cup.”
“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,” Andy told reporters. “But it’s far from over. Obviously to be up 2-1 gives us a better chance of winning. But I’m not getting ahead of myself. I know how good a player Goffin is, more so on clay.”
Belgium made a late change to their line-up with World No. 16 Goffin replacing Kimmer Coppejans as the hosts’ captain Johan Van Herck banked everything on the vital rubber.
Goffin was a bag of nerves Friday against Kyle Edmund before winning in five sets, but he played superbly from the start Saturday. His partner, though, lashed an easy overhead long at 4-5 to give Britain set point which Andy Murray converted with a volley at Darcis’s legs.
Jamie dropped serve in the third game of the second set as the Belgians roared back to restore parity. The turning point in the match came when the Belgians, in spite of breaking the Jamie serve in the opening game of the third set, failed to capitalise and lost their serves thrice to lose it.