Davis Cup: I didn’t know this would be possible - Andy Murray

The world No 2 clinched the point Great Britain needed to beat Belgium on the final day of play at a deafening Flanders Expo in Ghent with a 6-3 7-5 6-3 victory over David Goffin.

The final act of a gripping match was one of its highlights, Murray defending for all he was worth before curling a delicious backhand lob over his opponent and inside the baseline.

Murray collapsed to the clay, head buried in his hands, before being mobbed by captain Leon Smith and his team-mates.

Murray made sure he broke away to shake hands with Goffin and the whole Belgian team, and was then raised aloft by the rest of the British team.

“It’s obviously an amazing feeling,” he said. “I imagine it will take a few days before it really sinks in.

“I probably haven’t been as emotional as that after a match that I’ve won. I’ve been pretty upset having lost matches before. But I’d say that’s probably the most emotional I’ve been after a win.

“It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition. I didn’t know that would ever be possible. It’s great.”

Another of Fred Perry’s records has now been equalled, with Murray leading Britain to a 10th Davis Cup title 79 years after their ninth.

The achievement is all the more remarkable considering Britain’s lack of strength in depth and the low base from which they started when Smith took over as captain five-and-a-half years ago.

At that stage Britain were ranked 43rd having just lost to Lithuania and faced a play-off with Turkey to avoid being relegated to the bottom tier of the competition. Now they sit on top of the world.

Other players have contributed, not least James Ward, Dan Evans and a number of doubles players in helping Britain get back to the World Group, while Ward and Jamie Murray, alongside his brother in doubles, have also posted wins this year.

Beverley’s Kyle Edmund was a member of Britian’s winning team in Ghent. He lost the first singles after holding a two-set lead in his debut match in the competition.

In winning 11 of the 12 rubbers it has taken for Britain to clinch the title, there is no doubt one man is primarily to thank.

Smith said: “It has to be one of the best achievements of all time.

“It’s incredible for all of us to watch how he’s managed to win that many rubbers, especially when you look back at the tie against France and also the Australia match; obviously a lot of fatigue, but he managed to find a way through.

“I hold Andy in the absolutely highest esteem. I can’t talk highly enough about him. He’s put his whole body, his whole mind on the line every single time for the team. We’re all grateful and proud of him.”

Smith was Murray’s childhood coach and the 28-year-old was full of praise for the remarkable job done by his fellow Scot.

“Obviously since Leon has become captain, you don’t need to talk about it, you just look at the results and see where we’ve come from,” he said. It will be a concern to the team and the Lawn Tennis Association that Smith, who has previously made public his ambitions to coach on the tour, pointedly failed to affirm his commitment to the job.

Murray stayed up late on Saturday night to watch Tyson Fury become Britain’s latest world heavyweight champion, something he admitted “probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do”.

The atmosphere was more akin to a boxing bout than a tennis match as Murray and Goffin, who like his opponent played on all three days of the tie, took to the court.

It was highly competitive throughout, with Murray never able to pull away from the tenacious Goffin, who had failed to take a set off the Scot in two previous matches.

The tension was at its peak in the second set before Murray finally broke through in the 11th game. He was able to show his extra quality when it counted, particularly on serve, and ultimately that proved enough for victory.

Murray is only the third player after John McEnroe and Mats Wilander to win eight singles matches in a year since the current format was introduced; his 11-0 record in live rubbers is unique.

He joins his fellow ‘big four’ rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in having won the Davis Cup and it is an achievement he will treasure alongside his grand slam titles and Olympic gold medal.

Report: Page 7.