The temptation to ask Andy Murray to back up in the doubles on Saturday with his brother, Jamie, could prove irresistible for the team captain, Leon Smith, after Great Britain’s best player – in either discipline – squared the Davis Cup quarter-final against France on day one at Queen’s Club in London.
“I always want to play but I’ve also had a long few months,” Murray said immediately after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three straight – if not straightforward – sets. “It’s about doing what’s best for us to win the title. We’ll chat about it and hopefully I can play.”
Later he added: “I feel fine just now, tired in general, but how I would expect to feel after the last few months. Luckily we have options. We need to be smart and I need to be very honest about how I am feeling.” That is as strong a public nudge for the captain as the world No 3 dare allow himself but it shows his commitment to a competition that he once, long ago, was accused of ignoring.
A late switch would be tough on either of the chosen pair, Jamie or Dominic Inglot, but they know as well as everyone in the loud crowd on Centre Court did on Friday afternoon that there is no room for sentiment, however many flags were waved, songs sung or cheers given up.
Smith said the team would talk later in the evening and he would decide in the morning. Given the various computations of form, fitness and sheer ability, the best selection would be the left- and right-handed Murray brothers, who last teamed up for Great Britain in a 4-1 win over Luxembourg in Glasgow four years ago. They have won two out of three times playing together at Queen’s. Inglot also might be short of a gallop after recovering from a knee injury. He has won three of eight matches since partnering Jamie and gave the United States’ Bryan brothers a terrific contest in the first round in Glasgow in March. Smith has until an hour before the 1pm start to decide – as does Arnaud Clément, who has picked Richard Gasquet and Nicolas Mahut to represent France in the middle match of the tie, although he is unlikely to tinker with his pairing.
Murray’s 7-5, 7-6 (12-10), 6-2 win in slowly deteriorating light more than compensated for a soporific opening when James Ward lost to Gilles Simon, the world No 11, whose elegant defensive game was too much for the Londoner.
Tsonga has lost 11 times in 13 matches now against Murray but there was tension throughout, partly because the Frenchman struggled to stay upright on the slippery grass and because Murray illuminated the overcast setting with some delightful shot-making under the intense pressure of his opponent’s booming serve.
At 40-15 and 5-5 on Murray’s serve in the first set, Tsonga fell heavily, feeling his knee on rising. He had no problem smashing a winner on the next point but Murray closed it out calmly.
Tsonga lifted his game in the second set to break and looked threatening for the next half-hour. However, his feet scooted forward from under him again in the aftermath of his serve in the sixth game. Murray won that point and the next two, resisted a fightback then broke when a great return forced an overhit reply and they went to the tie-break.
Tsonga went 3-0 up before slipping yet again. Murray – who also went over – came back strongly and they crossed at 3-3. They then swapped ends at 6-6.
Tsonga later thought the grass “dangerous”; Murray had no complaints.
Another 136mph howitzer gave Tsonga a second set point but Murray’s nerve held. They got to 9-9, 10-10, 11-10 Murray and, after a remarkable return of a 137mph serve, the Scot was mightily relieved to see Tsonga’s final reply drift long in the wind.
“I got a bit of a lucky return on the set point [in the tie-break],” Murray said in understatement. “I just managed to get my racket on that 137mph serve. It was a great atmosphere. It was absolutely fantastic. It’s a pleasure to play in front of crowds like this. There’s always extra pressure in Davis Cup. I’ve always enjoyed it.”
Murray broke to 15 at the start of the third set and from that point there was no stopping him. He finished spectacularly, if edgily. He won the second point of the final game with two unforgettable rescue shots, hunting down the first with a stretched backhand, then swivelling to scamper the 36ft along the baseline and do the same on the forehand wing, cracking a winner down the line.
Earlier Ward paid for too many wasted opportunities – in the first set, especially – as Simon won 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. They have practised many times together, as their coaches once were doubles partners, but there was no contempt in their familiarity, just French dominance.
A 50th unforced error at the end told the story for Ward and another gave Simon two match points. Ward clawed one back before shoving a closing backhand long. It was a dispiriting performance before the fireworks that followed.
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