Davis Cup final: Britain expect Murray to lead charge in Belgium

Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | November 25, 2015

2015 Davis Cup final

• Belgium v Team GB
• November 27th to 29th
• Flanders Expo Centre, Ghent
• Live on the BBC and Eurosport

Murray’s early ATP World Tour Finals exit aids Brits

Tennis’ world number two Andy Murray bowed out of the recent ATP World Tour Finals on home soil in London, putting individual glory to one side in order to focus on the Davis Cup final with his country.

Practising as much on hard surfaces as clay courts in the run-up to that end of season event, Murray seeks to end Great Britain’s postwar wait for triumph in this team event, and Coral reckon Team GB can do it as they are firm odds-on 2/9 favourites to beat Belgium.

For punters who are unaware of how Davis Cup ties work, a team of four players from a respective nation play five matches over three days, including one doubles game, and the country with the most victories wins.

Completing Great Britain’s quartet are James Ward, Kyle Edmund and Murray’s older brother Jamie, who is a doubles specialist. There had been talk of Aljaz Bedene, given a British passport this year, coming into the side, but he will not find out until early next year if he is eligible for selection having previously represented Slovenia.

Belgian boys set to be beaten

Hosts Belgium, meanwhile, have world number 16 David Goffin as their prized asset, but Murray mauled him at the Paris Masters in October, dropping just one game in a straight sets slaughter.

Backed up by fellow top 100 singles pro Steve Darcis, Belgium are 3/1 outsiders for victory in their homeland, with Ruben Bemelmans and Kimmer Coppejans comprising their foursome.

On paper, this should be straightforward for Team GB, but all of their Davis Cup wins (over the USA, France and Australia) have come at home. The same is said of Belgium, but their players simply aren’t as well regarded.

Edmund (4/1 for victory) opens up against Goffin (1/6), while Murray (1/50) takes on Bemelmans (14/1) on Friday. If both matches go GB’s way, a doubles win on Saturday would be enough to bring the Davis Cup back to Britain for the first time since 1936.

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