David Goffin versus Andy Murray
THE encounter which by rights should end Britain's 79-year wait to get their hands on this trophy. Each team's No 1 singles players meet, first up, at the Flanders Expo Centre in Ghent on Sunday and it would be a brave or foolish man who would bet against Andy Murray taking the point he requires to secure this title. The two men have met twice previously, with the Scot winning both, the latest as recently as this month, by an embarrassingly straightforward 6-1, 6-0 scoreline. The two men have never met on clay, as Murray withdrew from a potential meeting in Rome earlier in the season as he wanted to rest up ahead of Roland Garros. While the 24-year-old Goffin feels happy on clay, is possessed with great touch, and will shoulder no pressure in the tie, it will take a kind of performance the world has yet to see from the No 16 in the ATP Tour rankings if he is to knock Murray off his perch under these circumstances.
Ruben Bemelmans (or Steve Darcis) versus Kyle Edmund (or James Ward)
If Britain get their way this will be after the Lord Mayor's Show, a dead rubber which may not even be played. If Belgium get theirs, it will be a battle to the death to decide the outcome of the Davis Cup. Both captains are understandably keeping their cards close to their chests ahead of this one, but should the doomsday scenario occur and Murray fail to deliver in the opener, the hosts will fancy their chances. While Bemelmans is nominated for now against Kyle Edmund, a more likely match-up would surely be Steve Darcis, four times a victor in decisive fifth rubbers in Davis Cup play, against James Ward. Kyle Edmund may be spared the ordeal after his body gave way on him on Friday from two sets to love against Goffin.
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