DAVIS CUP TENNIS IS TOTALLY THRILLING AS THE BRITS AND THE BELGIANS FINISH DAY ONE TIED

Written by: Global Chick on 27th November 2015

Davis Cup final Belgium vs Great Britain

DAVIS CUP TENNIS IS TOTALLY THRILLING AS THE BRITS AND THE BELGIANS FINISH DAY ONE TIED

epa05044352 Belgium's David Goffin returns the ball to Great Britain's Kyle Edmund during the first game of the final of the Davis Cup World Group between Belgium and Great Britain in Gent, Belgium, 27 November 2015. EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE |

Rozzington’s Day 1 Wrap from the Davis Cup Finals In Ghent By Ros Satar

And so it was ever thus, but with a twist as Brit new-boy Kyle Edmund gave the hosts a right fright, taking the first two sets off the Belgian No.1 David Goffin. If the visitors wanted a dream start, they sure got one after a 12 minute hold to settle the nerves.

Blistering forehands, deft mixes of pace left Goffin at sixes and sevens for a little over an hour, as the hosts looked down the barrel of an opening defeat. But it was inevitable that Edmund’s level would dip, as the host swiftly took advantage of Goffin’s renewed vigour to keep themselves in contention.

The come-back had to be decisive, and the Brits know only too well from their midst how quickly a match can turn, and Edmund was finding that out as the wheels began to spin while Goffin pushed Belgium closer by levelling the match.

Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund returns a ball to Belgium’s David Goffin during the first game of the Davis Cup World Group finals between Belgium and Great Britain in Gent, Belgium, 27 November 2015. EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE

Experience plays a huge part, and while there is absolutely no doubt that Edmund has a bright future, Goffin has the experience behind him in this kind of environment, and with the crowd roaring him on, he quickly roared through a decider, nullifying any power that the young Brit had in his forehand and with far too many errors, it was perhaps a crushing blow to let the decider go without a game on the board, especially the last two where Edmund fought back to deuce to try and hang in with the Belgian.

Personal history was going to be made no matter what – had Edmund pulled himself back into the match and won, he would have been the first man to win a live singles rubber on his debut, and Goffin came from 0-2 down to win a five-setter for the first time.

In reality no-one thought the score would be anything other that 1-1 at the end of day one, but few would have reckoned on Edmund giving it a good go.

At the end of the match, emotionally he was shattered with the loss, but as we have said before he is an extraordinarily grounded young man. Despite his loss (goodness even Saint Andrew of Murray lost his first live singles rubber (ok one of only two losses).

Edmund admitted: “I was nervous naturally. I was just trying to focus on trying to block out the atmosphere, the occasion, and just play tennis, which is something I do every day. I hit thousands and thousands of balls. It couldn’t have gone any better.

“The third set he started to get on top of me. Then things started to fall away. In the fourth set I was struggling physically, and in the fifth set. It was just disappointing that my body couldn’t hold up the way I would have liked it to.

That’s probably why I was upset at the end because I knew I had the chance to beat him. I was two sets to love up. It’s not a nice feeling losing two sets to love up, losing in five.”

Give credit to Goffin, he was the first to pay his respects to the challenge that Edmund presented him with.

He said: “First of all, Kyle played an unbelievable first two sets. He was really aggressive with his forehand. He played with his forehand with a lot of power. It was tough to manage it because I didn’t know Kyle before the match, how he plays.

“It was tough for me. From the beginning, I was a little bit tight also. But I knew we have a chance in the match. I had the chance in the third set. I knew when it was 3-1 for me, the match turned. It was better until the end. I tried to stay calm, to manage it very well. At the end I’m really happy to win the first point. People expected me to win the match, and that’s what I did.”

Now this ploy of losing the first two sets and wanting to go on and qin was perhaps not going to be quite as straight forward in the second match between Ruben Bemelmans and Andy Murray.

Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans in action against Britain’s Andy Murray during the second match of the Davis Cup World Group Final between Belgium and Britain in Gent, Belgium, 27 November 2015. EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE

But the Belgian crowd had been lifted as though fuelled by endless waffles, and the Belgian had no issue breaking back after the Brit went ahead an early lead. The Belgian of course came to play, and showed some beautiful touches at the net burning Murray over and over with drop-shots that left the Brit scrambling around on the slippy stuff on more than one occasion.

At the start it looked as though Murray was playing a more measured game, but as time wore on it was clear he needed to do more than play within himself, treating the crowds to some cheeky little droppers of his own, followed with the odd crushing lob.

In fact the ceiling at the Flanders Expo is lower than regulation height, and Murray was asked whether that would harm one of the most effective shots in his repertoire, but he looked to have the dimensions locked in quite nicely.

The third set was when the Belgians were at their most threatening, with Bemelmans breaking and giving the crowd something to cheer – in fact so much so that the supervisor had to come out and issue Team Captain Johan Van Herck with a warning. That in turn gave the crowd something to boo about – there was no winning, although put down of the day goes to umpire Carlos Ramos ‘Shhing is not being quiet!’

It is evident when Murray steps up a gear, and with more zip on his ground strokes the momentum swung back to the visitors as Murray broke the Belgian to love, and served out for the match – job done, but can he do it again, and again?

Britain’s Andy Murray in action against Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans during the second match of the Davis Cup World Group Final between Belgium and Britain in Gent, Belgium, 27 November 2015. EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE

He said: “I believe in myself. I believe in me and Jamie as a doubles team, as well. But it’s obviously going to be tough. I mean, Goffin’s a top-quality player when he plays well. He’s ranked 15, 16 in the world, plays well on the clay.

“I’m aware that will be a very tough match to win. In the doubles, Davis Cup is always tough, never easy, just because of the way doubles is played. I believe we can win the tie, obviously, otherwise there would be no point in us being there. But it’s going to be tough, for sure.”

So as expected we end all square on Day 1. The only thing we can be sure of is that the family firm of Murray and Murray will face supposedly Steve Darcis and Kimmer Coppejans, but in truth we would not be surprised to see that Belgian order switched about. It would really be no surprise to see a Goffin/Bemelmans or Goffin/Darcis pairing.

Ros Satar is a regular contributor to 10sballs.com and runs Britwatch Sports (@britwatchsports), because we Brits like watching sport. Occasionally we’re good at it.

Editors note: I think the Belgians dubs will be Ruben and Steve…

The toilets cost about 50 cents to use each time. So They make their money off the beer twice….. and disabled people have to pay 50 cents to use the toilets too. Really at Davis Cup Finals by BNP Paribas.

Topics: Andy Murray, Belgium, David Goffin, Davis Cup, Ghent, global chick, Great Britain, Kyle Edmund, Ruben Bemelmans, Sports, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

November 27, 2015 at 1:30 pm

Davis Cup Tennis Is Totally Thrilling As The Brits And The Belgians Finish Day One Tied
https://t.co/JH7cViATxW