ANDY MURRAY has had to prove himself equal to some very demanding Sunday afternoons during the course of his top-flight career but not since childhood will he have had the inspirational boost of preparing for such a task in his homeland.
Whether it is porridge or square sausage and potato scones for breakfast, it is fair to assume Murray will be so well fed on patriotism before walking out to face John Isner with 7,700 ardent Scots behind him that he will be just as motivated for the task as the day he won the Wimbledon title.
Some of the world’s leading players find it easy to turn their back on the Davis Cup and this was the case for Murray a couple of years ago, even when Britain played home matches in Scotland. But since Leon Smith’s team have returned to the World Group and tennis has almost become the national sport of Scotland, he has rarely been so inspired to succeed.
Assuming Murray finishes the job he is more than equipped to do and extends his personal dominance over Isner that currently stands at 3-0 — the most recent victory coming on American soil in Cincinnati last August — the question that will face the Lawn Tennis Association is where to stage the quarter-final tie against France a week after Wimbledon.
Advertisement
Britain will have home advantage in the tie and the option of taking the team back to Glasgow will be strong, although a bigger arena will be required and the Hydro, specially built for the Commonwealth Games, would be perfect. The only problem is that Bette Midler is already booked for a series of concerts in the same week.
As the United States team have repeatedly stressed during the course of this Davis Cup World Group tie, the patriotism demonstrated by the capacity crowd at Glasgow Emirates Arena and the particular choice of music chosen by those in charge of the public address system, have proved as important a weapon as Murray’s double-fisted backhand.
The sight of Murray standing and singing the words to The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond was a sight to surprise even the most seasoned of Murray watchers and he stoically refused to leave courtside for even a moment as his elder brother Jamie and Dominic Inglot fought a brave but ultimately unsuccessful battle against the most accomplished doubles team tennis has ever known in the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike. Finally, after three hours and 39 minutes, Murray and Inglot had to face up to the disappointment of a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-7 9-7 defeat that killed hopes of Britain securing a quarter-final spot within two days.
Just as James Ward had done the previous evening, the partnership of Murray and Inglot, who had not played together since junior days 12 years ago, nobly fought back froma two-set deficit against the Bryans, who have been playing Davis Cup ties together since 2003. Obviously there was not the seemingly telepathic understanding peculiar to twins on the British side of the net. Initially there were shouts of “Mine” and “Leave it” from both British players while the Bryans majestically got on with their business.
The outcome initially looked predictable as the Americans galloped 2-0 ahead in less than an hour. Murray, in particular, found it difficult and lost his serve in the first four games he stepped up to the line.
Advertisement
But the whole Scottish experience and the support of the crowd is proving to be a massive boost for those who hail from nearby Dunblane or distant London. It helped Euston-based Ward to play well above his normal standard and Inglot, the tall right-hander from Chiswick, seemed similarly motivated as the Bryans began to look fallible.
Britain saved a match point in the fourth-set tiebreak when Inglot hit the most forceful of forehand returns and, soon after, they levelled it at two sets all.
Deadlocked in the fifth with no tiebreak allowed, there were concerns when Murray required prolonged treatment on his back and Inglot his left knee.
There were no break points until the 15th game. Murray saved the first with an ace but was unable to avert the second, hitting a forehand volley into the net. Mike Bryan stepped up to finish off the victory and snatch the normally dominant pair’s first victory over five sets in Davis Cup play.
France reached the quarter-finals when Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau beat Benjamin Becker and Andre Begemann in Germany in straight sets 6-4 6-3 6-2 to take an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Advertisement
Serbia have also seen off Croatia inside two days while Switzerland, the defending champions, are facing elimination after losing their doubles rubber yesterday to to trail Belgium 2-1.