GHENT, Belgium // Unheralded British youngster Kyle Edmund faces a difficult Davis Cup debut on Friday when he meets Belgium’s David Goffin in the opening rubber.
The 20-year-old Edmund, ranked 100th in the world, will join an elite group, including Pete Sampras, to make their debuts in the final of the sport’s team event.
Britain have not won a Davis Cup title since the days of Fred Perry, in 1936.
The last time Britain reached the final, in 1978, John McEnroe played his first Davis Cup singles rubber for their US opponents.
The visiting team’s top player, world No 2 Andy Murray, will face Ruben Bemelmans in the second rubber of the best-of-five contest on a drop-in clay court at the 13,000-capacity Flanders Expo.
Edmund, who won a Challenger Tour event on clay in Argentina on November 15, his third championship of 2015, was picked by captain Leon Smith ahead of the more experienced James Ward.
Belgium captain Johan Van Herck, spearheading the bid for a first Davis Cup title, also caused surprise by selecting world No 108 Bemelmans ahead of 84th-ranked Steve Darcis to face Murray on the opening day.
Saturday’s doubles will see Andy Murray and older brother Jamie take on Darcis and Kimmer Coppelmans.
The make-up of the reverse singles, which will see world No 16 Goffin play Murray, could be changed, with Darcis and Ward potentially coming in to contest a decisive fifth rubber.
Edmund’s selection was not unexpected, after his results on clay in recent weeks, but it will be a huge step up as he looks to become the first debutant to win a live rubber in the Davis Cup final.
“This will be the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of. It’s a new experience for me,” said Edmund, who seemed calm and composed at a crowded news conference Thursday.
“It’s exciting to play my first match for my country. At the same time, I’ve got a job to do, which will be to give my best and put a point on the board for GB.”
Captain Smith said it had been a “hard decision” but he had been swayed by Edmund’s ranking and form on clay.
With Murray, who has provided eight of Britain’s nine points on the way to the final, expected to win both his singles matches, Belgium are underdogs.
But Van Herck, leading Belgium’s only appearance in a final since their defeat by Britain in 1904, said the tie will go all the way and says the crowd will be like an extra player for the home side.
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