Great Britain’s journey to the 2015 Davis Cup title
• 4 minute read
It’s one of the most famous shots and moments in British tennis history.
With match point in the 2015 Davis Cup final against Belgium’s David Goffin, three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 Andy Murray produced an inch-perfect backhand lob to seal the title for Great Britain.
It marked Great Britain’s first Davis Cup title since 1936 and their 10th in the history of the legendary men’s team competition.
It’s a moment immortalized in the words of former British tennis player and now pundit, Andrew Castle, who was lucky enough to commentate on that final rubber.
“Great Britain have done it – in the most spectacular style. Andy Murray, unbeaten in the Davis Cup. More sporting history.”
For Captain Leon Smith and the rest of the 2015 squad, including Kyle Edmund, James Ward, Dan Evans, Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot, it was an achievement of a lifetime and one that has had an impact across all areas of British tennis.
Off the back of Britain’s historic win, the LTA launched a revolutionary new children’s starter programme (aimed at 5-8 year olds) called Tennis 4 Kids.
Over the next two years working in partnership with almost 1,000 LTA Accredited Coaches up and down the country 35,000 kids new to tennis received a complimentary six week course of tennis coaching and a free racket to continue their tennis journey thereafter.
In the decade since, this programme has evolved into the award-winning LTA Youth which continues to attract new kids to tennis through a heavily subsidised LTA Youth Starter Offer, where, in partnership with FAGE and Dunlop, children can own their first racket and ball set for just £4.99 and are signposted to weekly sessions to get on court.
On the 10-year anniversary of Great Britain’s Davis Cup title we look back at the historic run – re-living all the matches, highlights and best moments along the way.
First round: Great Britain 3-2 USA
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Match one |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Donald Young (USA) 6-1, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 |
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Match two |
James Ward (GBR) bt. John Isner (USA) 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3), 15-13 |
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Match three |
Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA) bt. Jamie Murray & Dom Inglot (GBR) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(8), 9-7 |
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Match four |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. John Isner (USA) 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-6(4) |
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Match five |
Donald Young (USA) bt. James Ward (GBR) 5-7, 1-0 (RET) |
Great Britain started their Davis Cup journey with a difficult home tie against USA in Glasgow.
The American team, led by the big-serving John Isner, rising star Donald Young and arguably the world’s greatest ever doubles pair, Mike and Bob Bryan, were an ominous challenge but one the Brits were up for.
Murray opened the tie with his first of eight-straight Davis Cup singles wins up against Young, before Ward produced one of Great Britain’s most impressive comebacks of all time.
The world No.111 came back from two sets down against Isner to win 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3), 15-13 after almost five hours on court – one of, if not the best match of his career.
An incredible result against a player who was a regular feature in the ATP top 20 at the time and it gave the Brits a decent platform to build on.
However, it wouldn’t be quite that straightforward. Murray and Inglot were denied an epic comeback of their own against the Bryan brothers by narrowly losing 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(8), 9-7 to get USA on the board, only for Murray to see off Isner in straight sets to seal an epic win for GB.
Quarter-final: Great Britain 3-1 France
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Match one |
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt. James Ward (GBR) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 |
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Match two |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 7-6(10), 6-2 |
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Match three |
Andy Murray & Jamie Murray (GBR) bt. Nicholas Mahut & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1 |
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Match four |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Gilles Simon 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0 |
Attention then turned to The Queen’s Club in July as Great Britain got set to face France on the grass.
Just days after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Murray rose to the occasion in front of the home crowd to hand-deliver a GB victory.
After Ward lost out to Wimbledon quarter-finalist Gilles Simon in straight sets, Murray had to record a win over one of his toughest rivals - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
In a repeat of the 2011 Queen’s Club final, Murray beat the French star before joining forces with his brother Jamie to defeat Tsonga and Nicholas Mahut 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1.
Murray admitted that he was exhausted in the fourth match of the tie against Simon but had the quality to come back from a set down to win a crucial second set tie-break and seal the tie 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0.
The British No.1 collapsed to his knees in exhaustion and celebration as his side booked its place in the semi-finals for the first time in 36 years.
Semi-final: Great Britain 3-2 Australia
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Match one |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 |
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Match two |
Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt. Dan Evans (GBR) 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-4 |
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Match three |
Andy Murray & Jamie Murray (GBR) bt. Sam Groth & Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 |
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Match four |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Bernard Tomic (AUS) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 |
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Match five |
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt. Dan Evans (GBR) 7-5, 6-4 |
It didn’t get any easier for Great Britain in the semi-finals, taking on their third Grand Slam nation in as many ties, this time up against Australia.
In a return to the 8000 seater capacity Emirates Arena in Glasgow, the tie was evenly poised after two matches with wins for Murray and Australia’s Bernard Tomic heading into the doubles.
The doubles proved to be the defining match of this tie as the Murray brothers took on former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt and his partner Sam Groth in another five-set epic in Scotland.
The Murray’s came back from 4-1 down in the third to take a two set to one lead and had match point in the fourth set – but former Wimbledon and US Open champion Hewitt found a way to force the Brits to a decider after a nail-biting tie-break.
In a make or break match for both sides, the Murray’s lost a 3-0 lead in the deciding set, but broke Groth’s serve in the final stages to see out the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4.
Murray returned the next day to see off Tomic 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 and punch Great Britain’s ticket into an historic Davis Cup final.
Final: Great Britain 3-1 Belgium
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Match one |
David Goffin (BEL) bt. Kyle Edmund (GBR) 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 |
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Match two |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 |
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Match three |
Andy Murray & Jamie Murray (GBR) bt. Steve Darcis & David Goffin (BEL) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
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Match four |
Andy Murray (GBR) bt. David Goffin (BEL) 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 |
I never thought we would have the opportunity to do this and I can’t believe we did it.
One final hurdle to overcome but in the most testing of environments – an away tie, in Belgium on the indoor clay, to decide the 2015 Davis Cup champions.
Belgium came into the match having beaten Switzerland, Canada and Argentina and were looking to make history of their own – winning their first Davis Cup title.
Captain Smith had a difficult decision to make at the start of the tie, electing for 20-year-old Edmund to make his Davis Cup debut in the biggest of moments.
The young talented Brit came within moments of one of the greatest debuts the competition had ever seen – taking a two set lead against former world No.7 David Goffin. The Belgian would go on to win the match in five sets but it was a statement performance from Great Britain’s youngest star with much tougher tasks ahead for Belgium.
Murray made light work of his first singles rubber against Ruben Bemelmans and then combined with his brother Jamie for a third-straight tie, beating Steve Darcis and Goffin 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
When Sunday came around, all eyes were on the Flanders Expo in Ghent to see if Murray could complete his unbeaten Davis Cup run and bring the title home for his country.
In the biggest of moments, under the greatest pressure, Murray delivered a masterclass performance – defeating Goffin 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 to seal Great Britain’s first title for 89 years.
“It feels amazing,” Murray said after the match. “I never thought we would have the opportunity to do this and I can’t believe we did it. I play some of my best tennis when I'm playing for my country.”
Captain Smith added, "It is amazing, as good a feeling as I could imagine. Andy has shown himself to be an absolute superstar. He will be the first to say that it is a team thing but what he has done is astonishing. I am proud of everyone."
