DAVIS CUP UPDATE AND TENNIS NEWS FROM GHENT, BELGIUM

Written by: Staff on 26th November 2015

DAVIS CUP UPDATE AND TENNIS NEWS FROM GHENT, BELGIUM |

Ruben Bemelmens To Play Andy Murray ( 10sBalls_com Used To Sponsor Ruben, He Wore Our Patch )

A Look Forward To Friday’s Davis Cup Matches

Last year, it was Roger Federer’s turn to add the biggest trophy he had never won. Could this year be Andy Murray’s?

Murray is, of course, the lynchpin of the British team that will be playing on clay in Belgium. They have a pretty good shot at the doubles point whether he plays or not, but if he doesn’t win two singles points, the British are probably in trouble, and if he doesn’t win at least one, they are almost certainly doomed.

Which leads us to one of the big questions about this tie: How quickly can Murray adapt to clay? He was quite concerned about that before the London championships, although once he was pressured into playing London, he stopped talking about the matter very much. But it might be nagging at his mind.

Photo by @ESPNTennis via Twitter.

And then there is the whole security situation in Belgium. It’s not the only time terrorism concerns have affected a Davis Cup tie — think of all the problems Pakistan has had in trying to get the ITF to let it play at home! — but for a final to be so much under a cloud is unprecedented. Rarely have we seen a high-profile tie with so many outside distractions influencing the players.

There wasn’t much question about who would be on the teams — the only real questions were who would get the #2 singles spot for the British and who would be the #4 Belgian player. Plus, of course, who would play the doubles. The British would have Andy Murray at #1 singles and Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot available for doubles; the Belgians, who really don’t have any strong doubles players, would choose David Goffin for #1 singles, with Steve Darcis and Ruben Bemelmans competing to be #2. Plus one more guy for each team.

The British, who have had a revolving door for #2 singles, eventually chose 20-year-old Kyle Edmund, who has been rising in the rankings, for the #2 singles spot, although they didn’t make the decision between Edmund and James Ward until the very last moment. The Belgians once again chose Kimmer Coppejans as their fourth player — after all, he has been a real good luck charm for a team that keeps sneaking out wins at home against under-strength opponents.

Unfortunately for the Belgians in their quest to sneak out one more tie, they’ll face a British team that is as close to full strength as it can be. #2 singles of course remains a weak spot, but it’s a weak spot for the Belgians, too. And the hosts will be at a big disadvantage in the doubles, no matter whether the British play Inglot/Murray or (as has been their habit) Murray/Murray. Still, the clay surface could help David Goffin against Murray, and it could hurt Edmund. The Belgians might have a chance — if Goffin can somehow beat Murray. It’s true that Goffin won only one game against Murray at their last meeting in Paris — but he’s more rested, and the surface can only help him. Without that point, it could be a long nightmare in Belgium. And that’s apart from the problem of getting through security!

There were some interesting last-minute developments. The British, for once, came straight out and said that they will play Murray/Murray in the doubles; perhaps Inglot got tired of being told he was in the lineup and then being dumped. More interesting is the fact that the Belgians listed Bemelmans, not Darcis, for #2 singles; he’ll play Murray in the second match after Goffin plays Edmund. Darcis did suffer an injury a few weeks ago, but he’s said to be healthy now, and he’s listed as playing doubles with Coppejans. So perhaps the Belgians chose Bemelmans because Darcis doesn’t like clay — or, perhaps, they’re getting clever; knowing that neither Bemelmans nor Darcis has much chance against Murray, they’re giving Darcis a rest so that he’ll be in better shape to face Edmund in the reverse singles. After all, that’s the last match of the tie, and obviously it would be nice to have a fresh, experienced player take on the youngster Edmund. According to the ITF, Edmund is the first player in twelve years to make his Davis Cup debut in the Cup final. And, if the tie is still live, he would be the first ever to play the fifth and decisive contest of the Cup in his debut tie.

The Belgians will be trying for their first title; it’s their first final since 1904. The British of course have won the title before, but none of the players on the current time were even alive when they last made the final, let alone 79 years ago when they last won the Cup.