Davis Cup Final 2015: Friday Score and Reaction for Belgium vs. Great Britain
Andy Murray pulled Great Britain level in the Davis Cup final 2015 on Friday, beating Ruben Bemelmans in three sets, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. Earlier in the day, David Goffin produced a stirring fightback to give Belgium the lead, beating Kyle Edmund 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 in a thrilling opening match in Ghent.
The hosts are playing in their first Davis Cup final since 1904 and have never won the tournament, while Britain are looking for their first title since 1936.
Murray cruised through the first two sets but found it difficult to break down Bemelmans in the third and even faced a set point down 5-4. He eventually pulled through to level for his team ahead of Saturday's doubles.
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Here's a look at the results and upcoming schedule for the Davis Cup final:
| Friday, Nov. 27 | David Goffin (16) | 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 | Kyle Edmund (100) |
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Ruben Bemelmans (108) | 3-6, 2-6, 5-7 | Andy Murray (2) |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | Steve Darcis and Kimmer Coppejans | Andy Murray and Jamie Murray | |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 (if necessary) | David Goffin (16) | Andy Murray (2) | |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 (if necessary) | Ruben Bemelmans (108) | Kyle Edmund (100) |
Murray Pulls Great Britain Level
Murray was expected to go up against Steve Darcis in his first rubber, but Belgium elected to give Bemelmans a chance, saving Darcis for the doubles and final match. With Murray playing some excellent tennis toward the end of 2015, the hosts likely didn't believe in their chances of upsetting the Scot too much.
Early on, it was easy to see why. Murray easily held his serve and immediately broke Bemelmans, who struggled controlling his nerves and hit two double faults.
But backed by a vocal crowd in Ghent, the Belgian started to grow into the match. Several cheeky drop shots surprised Murray, and before long, the match was all tied up. Het Nieuwsblad's Bart Lagae noted the unfancied Bemelmans was playing fantastic:
The gap in class between Murray and Bemelmans was evident, as the Belgian couldn't keep up whenever his opponent found his rhythm, but Bemelmans turned the match into a surprisingly good contest by playing aggressive, free-flowing tennis and taking plenty of risks.
This was great news for neutral fans, but the Belgians likely wanted to see even more from their hero. No matter how bravely he fought, Murray still won the majority of the rallies, and another break came before long. Bemelmans hung in there and took one more game in the first set, but Murray cruised to an easy 6-3 win, via bet365:
Murray steamed to another break to start the second set, and with his serve game looking much improved from his inconsistent showing at the ATP World Tour Finals, the Brit didn't even have to switch gears to put Bemelmans under pressure and build an early lead.
The Belgian had a few chances to break back in the fourth game but failed to convert, and he paid for it dearly, as Murray would show no further signs of weakness on his way to a 2-0 lead.
The match seemed all but over, but Bemelmans displayed excellent aggression in the opening game of the third set, and his solid performance seemed to frustrate Murray. Per Oliver Holt of the Daily Mail, the Belgian fans loved it:
Murray will be playing in every match for Britain, and he likely wanted to conserve as much energy as possible on Friday. Bemelmans not only did a great job lengthening the match, but he also started playing even more drop shots, keeping the Scot moving.
In the fifth game, Murray even ran into a point penalty, ignoring earlier warnings he was pushing his luck with some foul language. He and captain Leon Smith were furious, and they took their time letting the umpire now it, via Live Tennis:
"#Murray incurs a second audible obscenity code violation & #GBR receive a point penalty ... pic.twitter.com/mOoJ5lbkuH
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) November 27, 2015"
The umpire talked to Murray again after the game, but he also gave the Belgian team a warning for the crowd noise, as fans were hissing through Murray's serve games. With tempers now flaring, Murray's concentration seemed to be affected the most, and Bemelmans grabbed his second break of the match in the following game.
Murray immediately broke back and tied things up at 4-4 with a dominant serve game, but Bemelmans sensed an opening and grabbed a set point following a double fault from Murray two games later. The Scot kept his cool and tied things up at 5-5.
A break in the next game set Murray up to serve for the match, and he made no mistakes, grabbing Britain's first win of the final.
Per BBC Sport's Mike Henson, Murray admitted Bemelmans troubled him in the final set.
"The third set was tricky after missing a few chances early on and he started going for his biggest shots when the new balls came out.
The crowd were getting wound up and you have to use that your advantage. It was a good atmosphere and it is going to be tough over the next couple of days.
We have good tactics for whoever plays in the doubles.
"
Saturday's doubles match will play a huge role in the outcome of the final, as Murray is expected to beat Goffin in his second singles match and Bemelmans or Darcis will be the favourite against Edmund.
The young Brit showed remarkable poise on Friday, however, and he should like his chances of winning his second rubber against either player.
Edmund Outlasted by Goffin
Raucous crowds can have drastic effects on home players, with some emboldened by the backing and others totally inhibited by the pressure. For Goffin, the talismanic figure for this Belgium Davis Cup team, it was definitely the latter in the opening exchanges of this one.
He was the big favourite for this first rubber against Edmund, but the Brit, ranked 84 places below his opponent in the ATP world rankings and making his Davis Cup debut, took full control with some sublime tennis.
As noted by Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday, the Englishman stormed into a massive lead while his illustrious opponent watched on stunned:
Edmund took the opener 6-3, and the Ghent crowd were jaded. By contrast, the underdog was ruthless and clearly sensed an opportunity, giving Goffin nothing in the early stages of the second set and forcing another break of serve to move into a commanding position.
With the world No. 16 struggling to accrue any rhythm, Edmund ran him ragged in the second stanza and a 6-1 scoreline was indicative of the dominance the Brit held. However, despite being two sets to the good, Stuart Fraser of the Daily Mail issued a word of warning to those British fans already chalking up the opening point of the final:
It was a warning worth heeding, as Goffin, on the brink of a huge shock loss, started to find his groove at last.
After a couple of tense opening games in the third, the home-crowd favourite started to show his class. Goffin’s serve clicked into gear, and when Edmund’s intensity level started to drop a little, he pounced on some slack second serves and short balls to secure a double break at 4-1.
The Belgian did drop his serve late in the set, but he responded well to break the Brit again and eventually served out the third set at 6-2. Suddenly, the momentum was back with the more experienced man.
Edmund visibly tired during the third set, and Goffin took full advantage at the start of the fourth. He started aiming his serves more into the body of Edmund, with great success, and he looked dominant in the rallies, hitting the winners that eluded him at the start of the match.
Edmund managed an early break but was immediately pushed back by Goffin, who grabbed a 3-1 lead with some superb play from the baseline. Issues with the net seemed to mess with the Brit's concentration even more, and as the set wore on, his legs seemed to give out.
Goffin grabbed the fourth set 6-1 to set up a decider and carried his momentum into the fifth set. A quick break gave him a 2-0 lead, and tennis writer Carole Bouchard thought his mental fortitude really showed:
Goffin was steaming at this point, and Edmund's inexperience showed. The final set was almost embarrassing for the Brit, who deserved far better after putting up such a great fight in his Davis Cup debut.
The Belgian was full of praise for his opponent after the match, per BBC Sport's Mike Henson:
"It was not easy. Kyle had good intentions and was really heavy with every forehand. It was hard for me to find my timing. I knew if Kyle was playing like this, bravo, but if there was a small chance I had to take it.
He played really heavy and I was surprised. He played really aggressive with his forehand.
The atmosphere here is amazing.
"
Belgium needed to win the first rubber to have any real chance of upsetting the British team, with Murray expected to cruise to two relatively easy wins in his singles matches. He'll also partner Jamie Murray for Saturday's doubles.
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