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Andy Murray took nearly five hours to get the job done for holders Britain as he clinched a 3-1 win over Japan yesterday in their Davis Cup World Group first-round tie before rushing home to be with his wife and newborn daughter.
Murray, the hero of last year’s surprise triumph, spent four hours, 54 minutes in holding off Asia’s top player and 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3.
The win was the joint-longest of his career alongside the 2012 US Open final against Novak Djokovic. By winning his 14th consecutive Davis match (singles and doubles) Murray broke a British mark dating back well over half a century set by Fred Perry.
Murray did not waste time hanging around in Birmingham, dashing back to Surrey near London to be with wife Kim and their new daughter for Britain’s Mothering Sunday.
Once again, Murray carried the weight for the 2015 Davis Cup champions by winning three rubbers and putting them into the quarter-finals and a July tie against either Serbia or underdogs Kazakhstan.
“I was trying to keep the points short in the third and fourth sets, but it didn’t work and in the fifth set I managed to grit my teeth and get it done,” Murray said.
“Thankfully I managed to get through. I was a little bit calmer in the first set. I had been getting very frustrated at the end of the third set but in the fifth I went back to what I was doing at the start, to get myself pumped up with positive energy.
“Last year’s experience was incredible for everyone on the team. We did something special last year and I would like to try do something similar this
year.”
Serbia were fighting to survive at 2-2 after Djokovic won a marathon of four hours, 57 minutes to beat Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (6-3), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The Czech Republic scraped past Germany 3-2, winning despite a hamstring injury which forced Tomas Berdych to quit his singles match against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Lukas Rosol came on to beat teenage German rookie Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 and clinch victory.
The Czechs will host France, who produced a 5-0 sweep against Canada on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet winning the last two points.
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