Davis Cup Final 2015: Belgium vs. Great Britain TV Schedule, Live Stream, Rules
Belgium are seeking Davis Cup glory for the first time in their history, as they welcome Great Britain to Ghent for the final of this illustrious competition.
The hosts eliminated Argentina in the semi-finals to make it to this point and have opted to stage the climax on indoor clay courts. Great Britain, spearheaded by world No. 2 Andy Murray, face a big challenge in winning the trophy away from home, but they will be confident of success in this tournament for the first time since 1936.
Here are some key details when it comes to the competition format, the weekend's schedule and the players set to square off in what should be a thrilling end to the tennis season.
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| Friday, Nov. 27 | Singles 1 and 2 | 12:30 p.m./7:30 a.m | BBC One (12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.) and BBC Two (1 p.m. - 6 p.m.) |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | Doubles | 2 p.m./9 a.m. | BBC One (2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.) and BBC Two (4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.) |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 | Singles 3 and 4 | 12 p.m./7 a.m. | BBC Two (All day) |
| Johan Van Herck (C) | Leon Smith (C) |
| David Goffin | Andy Murray |
| Steve Darcis | Jamie Murray |
| Ruben Bemelmans | Kyle Edmund |
| Kimmer Coppejans | Dominic Inglot |
Action will also be broadcast on Eurosport (UK) and the Tennis Channel (U.S.). The coverage can be streamed via BBC iPlayer (UK).
Rules: The final will consist of five rubbers, which include four singles matches and one doubles match. The first two singles matches will be played on Day 1, the doubles on Day 2 and the last two singles matches on Day 3.
The final is a basic best-of-five match series between the two squads of four players, with each player only allowed to partake in one game on each day. If the overall result is determined before the five rubbers are finished, the competition can end early.
Great Britain Favourites for Davis Cup Glory
Despite being on home soil, Belgium are big underdogs heading into this weekend’s showdown, and much of that is due to the form of Murray.
In the three wins Great Britain have enjoyed on their way to the final, the two-time major winner has played a part in eight of the nine points accrued, showing just how crucial he is to the team. Murray was in poor form at the recent ATP World Tour Finals, but former British No. 1 Tim Henman is expecting him to respond here, according to the Times (h/t Piers Newbery of BBC Sport):
"I think it was evident in Andy's performance at the O2 that he was a bit distracted, and that's perfectly acceptable when you've got a Davis Cup final around the corner.
Given the atmosphere and the environment for the match in Belgium - 90% of the support is going to be locals - I think that really will focus his mind.
"
Alongside Murray has been his brother, Jamie, who has played a fine supporting role with skipper Leon Smith.
The mother of the Murray brothers, Judy, took to Twitter in the build-up to this match to remind us all of just how far the pair have come:
It’s going to be a difficult challenge for this visiting team, though, with Belgium upsetting the odds plenty of times on their way to a home final.
They toppled reigning champions Switzerland in Round 1, before thumping Canada 5-0 on home soil—and a clay surface—in the quarter-finals. A win over Argentina in the semi-finals was another measure of the temperament in this team, and in David Goffin, they have an enigmatic talisman to call upon.
As the tournament’s official Twitter feed noted in the build-up to the final, the world No. 16 has been saving his best form for the Davis Cup in 2015 and will have a lot of momentum behind him:
The world No. 2 will be the decisive influence, though. Indeed, world No. 1 and recently crowned ATP Tour Finals champion Novak Djokovic told Stuart Fraser of DavisCup.com that he thinks the Scot will swing the contest the way of the visitors:
"Considering the fact that Andy Murray is in the team, everything he has done for Great Britain this season in the Davis Cup, it's fair to say that Great Britain is the favourite. …
I wish both teams all the best. It's going to be interesting to see that final. Again, Belgium is playing at home. David Goffin needs to play on a high level to give Belgium a chance, but Britain is the favourite.
"
Murray will need support from his brother and other team-mates, but throughout this competition they’ve been able to supplement his quality superbly. While clay isn’t the Olympic champion’s strongest suit, he’s made substantial improvements on the surface as of late, as was evident in his run to the semi-finals of the French Open earlier this year.
Belgium will be buoyed by their home support, and they have a talented set of players. However, they have yet to come up against an opponent as formidable as Murray, and they’ll find his influence on the contest impossible to negate.
Prediction: Belgium 2-3 Great Britain
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