IT’S GETTING WARMER – BRITS TURN UP THE HEAT ON THE AMERICANS IN GLASGOW @THE DAVIS CUP TENNIS BY GLOBAL CHICK

Written by: Staff on 6th March 2015

IT'S GETTING WARMER – BRITS TURN UP THE HEAT ON THE AMERICANS IN GLASGOW @THE DAVIS CUP TENNIS BY GLOBAL CHICK |

7,700 degrees of warmth. That’s what we felt in the Emirates Arena as the teams walked out and as Andy Murray was introduced to the capacity crowd. This Global Chick does not mind admitting, as the roar went up, all Braveheart and everything, it fair brought a tear to her eye. No, all joking aside it was impossible not to be moved by the rapturous welcome given to their two-time Grand Slam and reigning Olympic champion.

But there was still a tennis match to be played, and for the first two sets, Murray was on fire (thankfully not to the tuneless singing of the Stirling University cheering squad). He was moving well, having adjusted well to the court chosen specifically by Leon Smith to help his transition from Dubai to Glasgow (that’s a sentence we don’t tend to type very often!).

“Well fought from #donaldyoung in his defeat in the 1st rubber against #Murray #GB 1-0 #usta #DavisCup” – photo by @katadams68.

Young looked nervous out there for most of the first two sets, until he had his chance as Murray’s intensity dipped. Even by his own admission after the match, he preferred to look at the positives (well you would, wouldn’t you?).

Murray said: “I’m going to praise myself today, I had one UE in two sets, and that’s going to get you in a 61 61 lead in these sort of matches. If he was intimidated, I think I also played my part in doing that as well.”

Young perhaps looked every bit as stunned as the rest of us when his one break point against Murray came at set point.

“He started to miss a little more, I kinda loosened up. I was getting whupped pretty good so I started to hit the ball and was able to string some points together in a row an get into his service games which I could not do in the first two sets.”

To be fair, Young was quite perky seeing has he had just set the US back, saying: “Winning a set [helped] a lot. It settled me down and it means I did not go all the way down with my head down, with my tail between my legs. It was great to show that I could play well in such an environment and I am looking forward to hopefully playing a live rubber on Sunday.”

So as all eyes turned to John Isner and James Ward, in all probability it looked as though the US would level things up art 1-1 as Isner ruled in the first set tie-break coming back from 2-4 down to hammer five points in a row past the Brit. Then breaking him in the second, dinner plans were being made, but this is “Wardy” we are talking about.

“JAMES WARD BEATS JOHN ISNER 6/7 5/7 6/3 7/6 15/13! THE MOST INCREDIBLE MATCH EVER, IM SO PROUD OF HIM. ABSOUTLEY EXTRODIANARY!” – photo by @atpwtalove via Instagram.

His comeback over Querrey was explained away as a good patch in an otherwise streaky style of play, but you have to hand it to the streak, this time in the third set tie-break he did not pass up the chance, claiming back a set, before keeping the momentum to level the match.

So now we’re into marathon territory. The food outlets have closed, dinner plans laid to waste as the crowds were treated to another Isner marathon. With their challenges reset not once but twice, Ward did look the more sprightly (if it could be so described) in the final set. At one stage Isner looked as though he was cramping and just not moving for balls at all. It took the Brit six match points to close out the win, but surely this puts him in the running for Great British hero? After all he keeps pulling out these incredible wins.