Separated by 15 months on the calendar, and bound by blood and common purpose, Andy and Jamie Murray took Great Britain to the verge of Davis Cup glory with victory in the doubles here on Saturday and it is up to the younger, more celebrated but no less humble sibling to finish the job on Sunday.
Andy plays David Goffin in the first reverse singles, having not dropped a set against him in two previous encounters, as well as having examined his game in the third rubber of this tie as he and his elder sibling beat Belgium’s No1 and his compatriot Steve Darcis 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“Good to get that one done in four sets,” Andy said. “But I feel fine [for the Goffin singles match]. It’s far from over. Even if I was to lose against Goffin, I think we have a very good chance in the fifth rubber [in which James Ward would probably replace Kyle Edmund against either Darcis or Ruben Bemelmens], whoever plays for them.
“I’m not getting ahead of myself. I know how good a player Goffin is. You don’t get to be ranked 16 in the world in today’s game with the depth that there is if you’re not pretty good at the game. I feel pretty relaxed. I’m sure there will be nerves tomorrow. But I like being nervous. It helps me concentrate, it helps me give a little bit more effort. It might only be a couple of per cent, but it all makes a difference.”
As to any feelings of joy or celebration after a fraught battle over two hours and 49 minutes that secured Great Britain a 2-1 lead, he said: “To play in a Davis Cup final with your brother and to win a point for your country is obviously great. We may never get the chance to do that again, so we have to enjoy that.”
His brother, who contemplated retirement two years ago before relaunching his doubles career to great effect with John Peers before parting company with the Australian this month, was similarly moved by the occasion – so much so, he admitted, that nerves strangled his game at the start of the match.
Having shared victories with his brother at Queen’s Club in the quarter‑finals against France and at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena in the semi‑finals against Australia, he also appreciated how special the achievement is, and how it will be further enhanced if the team win the cup for the first time in 79 years.
Did they find it reassuring to be playing together? “It’s probably more reassuring for me than it is for him,” he replied to much laughter.
Nonetheless, in garnering 10 of 11 points in the 2015 campaign, the Murrays could lay claim to being Britain’s most successful sporting family in a long time.
The team captain, Leon Smith, who has known both since childhood, said, “They did very, very well today. We will go away and make sure that Andy and whoever goes out for the second singles is absolutely ready.”
