Great Britain edged closer to their first Davis Cup semi-final in 34 years on Saturday, while Belgium wrapped up a first semi-final spot since 1999 by seeing off Canada 3-0.
They are to face Argentina, who beat Serbia, in September for a place in the final.
At Queen’s Club in London, world No. 3 Andy Murray teamed up with brother Jamie to beat France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut to move 2-1 ahead in the tie.
Photo: Reuters
The Murrays secured a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(7/5), 6-1 victory in the doubles rubber that left Britain needing one win from yesterday’s two remaining singles to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1981.
Andy Murray can secure a last-four showdown against Australia or Kazakhstan if he defeats scheduled opponent Gilles Simon.
If he loses, British world No. 89 James Ward is due to face world No. 12 Tsonga in what would be the decisive second singles.
Andy Murray, the only member of the world top 10 in action in the quarter-finals, insisted he would be fit to play yesterday despite suffering a third set injury.
“It was not so much my groin as my hip. It is sore, but there is only one more match then I can rest after that,” the 28-year-old said. “I will get patched-up and hopefully put on another good performance.”
Nine-time winners France finished as runners-up to Switzerland last year, but now they are teetering on the brink of a first defeat against Britain since 1978.
On Friday, Simon beat Ward 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 before Andy Murray got the better of Tsonga 7-5, 7-6(12/10), 6-2 in the opening singles.
Argentina reached their 10th semi-final in 13 years when they defeated Serbia 3-0 in Buenos Aires.
Carlos Berlocq and Leonardo Mayer sealed the crucial point with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 win over Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic in the doubles.
Serbia were playing without world No. 1 and recently-crowned Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who opted to rest rather than make the trip to Buenos Aires.
On Friday, Mayer defeated Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 6-2, 6-1, while Federico Delbonis saw off Troicki 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 for a 2-0 lead.
In Ostend, Belgium, Ruben Bemelmans and Kimmer Coppejans gave the hosts victory over Canada with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph in the doubles against Daniel Nestor and Adil Shamasdin.
Canada, without injured world No. 8 Milos Raonic and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Vasek Pospisil, had lost both of Friday’s singles.
Steve Darcis saw off Frank Dancevic 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3 while world No. 14 David Goffin beat Filip Peliwo 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
“To play against Nestor and Shamasdin, who were favorites before the match ... I think we played amazing,” Bemelmans said. “The emotions of going to the semi-final with a country like Belgium are unbelievable. To do it with this team is something great.”
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