Victories for Andy Murray and James Ward over USA in Davis Cup
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Version 0 of 1. Andy Murray has carried British tennis in the Davis Cup for years, a statement so obvious it barely needs repeating – but it was James Ward, the eternal second fiddle to the Scot’s Yehudi Menuhin, who took the lead and the glory to give Great Britain a 2-0 advantage over the United States on Friday. In his second outstanding fightback in consecutive cup ties against the Americans, Ward, ranked 111 in the world, soaked up 39 aces over four hours and 56 minutes to beat the 20th-ranked John Isner 6-7 (4-7), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 15-13. Last year he did this to Sam Querrey on day one to put Great Britain on the road to the quarter-finals. Now they are two-fifths of the way there again in this 20th Davis Cup tie against the Americans. Ward has a day to rest before a possible tie-settling finale against Young on Sunday, and said, “It was just under five hours of high-level tennis. Neither of us wanted to give in. I’m just happy I got over the line. Even if you get break points, match points against John, he’s still going to come up with a big serve.” When told Murray was near tears courtside afterwards, Ward said, “To have Andy living every point with you is something I haven’t experienced before. He’s probably my best friend in tennis. We did a lot of training in Miami. He knows how hard I’ve worked.” For his part Murray later tweeted: “Time to remove every item of clothing and run through the streets of Glasgow.. Absolute farce from @JamesWardtennis” Playing in front of his home crowd for the first time since he won Wimbledon two years ago, Murray earlier delivered on the expectations of the nation by beating Donald Young 6-1, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. It was quick and, in the main, largely untroubled – in stark contrast to the battle that followed. After three hours and 41 minutes of unalloyed intensity, Isner, one of the game’s great fighters, did a remarkable thing: he stopped dead in his tracks as Ward’s cross-court winner gave him his first match point. We should have known that would not be the end of it. The American, his long legs clearly aching, held with his 37th ace. Forty minutes later, Ward got another match point in the 20th game of the set, his lob went an inch long … and Isner survived. There was a minor cessation of hostilities when, after holding for 11-10, Ward sprinted to the locker room for a toilet break. The end was like the last round of a world heavyweight title fight – with the combatants wearing cement shoes and wading through week-old treacle. Isner saved his fourth and fifth match points to level at 11-11 and the match was taking on a surreal feel, not quite in the realm of the American’s record 11 hours and five minutes slog against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, but weird none the less. Ward saved two break points to hold and the grind continued. When Isner stopped in the shot for the second time in the match, gifting Ward a point on his serve in the 25th game, cramp looked to be coursing through his spindly pins. Ward held to love and had another excellent chance to finish the fight, but the Marathon Man would not stay on the canvas. As the clock ticked towards five hours, Isner hit wide and weary to give Ward another three match points – and this time he clinched it, pumping his arms with all the energy he had left as his opponent’s final tired shot hit the lower net. Isner, his left knee heavily ice-packed, denied he’d cramped up but admitted he was “mentally a bit shaken”, adding, “I’m not going to sleep tonight, it’s awful.” However, he said he would commit himself to, “letting it rip” against Murray in the reverse singles, “if the tie is still alive on Sunday”. The curious dilemma for the team captain, Leon Smith, is whether to try to finish off the Americans in the doubles on Saturday against the Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob, by picking Murray to play with his brother, Jamie, or give him a day’s rest and stick with his original selection of Jamie and the doubles specialist Dominic Inglot. The odds on Friday night were with the status quo. Murray earlier had little time to luxuriate in his excellent win before the question of his further contribution rose like the Loch Ness monster, however. “I’ll be ready to play, if that’s what’s required,” he said. If Smith needs an historical perspective, the last time Great Britain beat the United States in consecutive ties, in 1905, the Doherty brothers, Laurence and Reg, carried the day. Murray’s win was rarely stressful and he completed the job in just under two hours. His serve was precise and measured, his ground strokes a collection of the direct and subtle and his all-round court savvy too much for the Americans’ least experienced player. “He didn’t start well,” Murray said, “but I’m going to praise myself today: I made one unforced error in the first two sets, so I can’t say it was down to his bad play why I was in that position. If he was intimidated, I played my part in that.” Young, who had a solitary win four years ago and three subsequent losses against Murray, tried his best but it was some way short of good enough, apart from an admirable fightback in the third set when he took advantage of his only break point of the match. “He just played great, to be honest,” Young said. |