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56 56 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2015 TENNIS Sport Murray brothers claim vital win to give Britain 2-1 lead in Davis Cup final Great Britain are one win away from Davis Cup final glory after victory for the Murray brothers in the doubles rubber A 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 win over Dav- id Goffin and Steve Darcis put GB 2-1 up on Belgium with two singles rubbers to play in Ghent on Sunday. Andy Murray will start favourite to beat Goffin in the first of those and claim GB's first Davis Cup ti- tle for 79 years. The siblings were up against a Belgian pair who had only played six matches together, most of those on the 'second division' Challenger Tour. Both had a losing career record on the main tour, Goffin's 2-13 figures being particularly poor, but you wouldn't have known it in a tight first set in which they com- fortably held their own. The set boiled down to the latter stages, Belgium creating the first break point in the ninth game when a lob by Andy through the girders failed to save the British pair, Darcis killing a volley three shots later. However, a good serve from the world number two levelled at deuce and an ace finished the game. There was an immediate sense that an opportunity had been missed and sure enough the Bel- gians were made to pay in the fol- lowing game. A forehand error from Darcis brought up set point and Andy clinched the set with a rock-solid series of volleys at the net. He jumped his way back to his chair but any sense that it would all be plain sailing from there were soon dispelled. His elder brother was struggling - emphasised at one stage by the fact that Andy took the ball off his racquet during one scamper across the clay. Jamie cracked in the third game of the second set as Belgium got themselves back in the contest. Two break points had already been saved when the 29-year-old double-faulted to bring up a third. A Goffin smash killed this one and it was game on. GB had a break-back chance in game six only for Andy to net a re- turn and they would get no more opportunities. With the Belgians producing a level of tennis few expected, Gof- fin playing particularly well, Dar- cis served out the set to love. The feeling that GB were rock- ing was added to when another poor service game from Jamie saw the Belgians go up a break at 2-1. It was to be a rollercoaster of a set though. GB hit straight back, Jamie snapping out of his malaise with two sharp, point-winning volleys. GB broke again in the next Bel- gian service game but not before a moment of controversy - a ball being called out which would have given them break point. Jus- tice was done when they won the replay though and when Jamie forced an error from Darcis at the net on the next point, the match momentum appeared to have tru- ly shifted. However, Jamie's level was still very up and down and when he fell 15-40 down on serve in the next game he chopped deep into the net and the set was back on serve. Not for long though, Darcis be- ing broken to love with Jamie again showing what he is capable of at the net. Andy kept up his run of not drop- ping his serve to claim the set. Nerves had been shredded in that stanza but things got easier for the Brits in the fourth. An untimely double fault from Darcis brought up an early break chance, one the brothers grasped to lead 2-1, but the key game was the following one. With Jamie serving, the Mur- rays had to fend off seven break points but they dug deep to hold and from there they pushed on to victory, Darcis going wide on the second match point. Britian's Andy Murray (R) and his brother Jamie celebrate