Davis Cup: Murray brothers win in double-quick time to put Britain on verge of progression

The brothers crushed Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3 6-2 6-4

Taking control: Jamie (left) and Andy Murray show their dominant form (Getty Images)

It was business as usual here at the Barclaycard Arena yesterday as Andy Murray, partnered by his brother Jamie, took Britain to within one victory of beating Japan in the opening defence of their Davis Cup title.

Having secured his team’s first point of the tie on Friday, Britain’s best player turned on the style in the doubles as the brothers crushed Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3 6-2 6-4.

Today Murray junior will hope to complete victory for Leon Smith’s team when he faces Kei Nishikori in the first of the reverse singles. If Nishikori puts a spanner in the British works – and the Japanese team gave the world No 6 the best chance of doing so by resting him from the doubles – the tie will go to a deciding fifth rubber between Dan Evans and Taro Daniel.

Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray had been Britain’s nominated pair, but Smith always hoped to field his strongest team in the doubles and Andy Murray was clearly up for the challenge after his speedy victory on the opening day. It meant that poor Inglot, having prepared all week for his moment in the spotlight, was stood down once again.

With Andy hitting blistering returns and Jamie all over the net, the Japanese pair did well to hold out until the eighth game, when Murray junior’s backhand return winner down the line broke Nishioka’s serve.

Great Britain 2-1 Japan

Friday’s singles 

A Murray (GB) bt T Daniel (Japan) 6-1 6-3 6-1 

K Nishikori (Japan) bt D Evans (GB) 6-3 7-5 7-6 

Saturday’s doubles 

A Murray & J Murray (GB) bt  Y Nishioka & Y Uchiyama (Japan) 6-3 6-2 6-4

Sunday’s singles (from 1pm) 

A Murray v K Nishikori 

D Evans v T Daniel

A carbon-copy winner saw Uchiyama drop serve in the opening game of the second set and yet another big return broke the 23-year-old again at 4-4 in the third set. That enabled you-know-who to serve out for victory with an ace.

Murray junior hopes that playing in the doubles will help him in today’s singles. “Kei has played in Memphis and Acapulco, so he’s played a bunch the last few weeks, whereas I haven’t,” he said. “It helps me just to get my eye in a little bit on returns and get a bit more confidence in my serve, which went extremely well today.”

If Britain win, they will face a July quarter-final either at home to Kazakhstan or away to Serbia. Kazakhstan stunned the Serbs in Belgrade yesterday by taking a 2-1 lead when Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov beat Novak Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 7-6 7-5. Serbia now need to win both of today’s reverse singles, with Djokovic facing Mikhail Kukushkin before Viktor Troicki meets Nedovyesov.