Andy Murray: Even if Great Britain lose the doubles, we can win the tie

With the match finely balanced at 1-1 after the first day, with Kyle Edmund losing to David Goffin and Murray overcoming Ruben Bemelmans, the doubles could be crucial, with the reverse singles on Sunday.

Belgium have yet to name their doubles team, with Goffin expected to be partnered by Bemelmans or Steve Darcis.

And Britain could yet throw James Ward into the fifth rubber ahead of Edmund.

But, whatever the combinations, Murray has backed his team to win.

“I don't think [the doubles] is as important as in some of the ties. I believe if we lost the doubles, we could win two singles on Sunday. Kyle could have won today. That's possible. If he was to play at that level against Darcis, that's not an easy match for Darcis. The fifth point, the fifth rubber in a Davis Cup Final is Darcis or James or Kyle, whoever plays that match, will never have experienced anything like that before. So it's not a gimme. It's not like James can't win that match.

“Darcis would be incredibly nervous. So, yeah, it's an important match obviously. Every point is. But I don't think for either team, like, if you lose it that the tie is over because I think both teams are capable of winning all of the points here. I did say that before the tie started. Today's matches I think proved that. Especially the first one.”

Murray also played down the influence of the crowd, after refusing to serve at times when they were making a noise during his opening match.

“I didn't think they crossed the line, to be honest,” said the Scot. “But as the server, I'm not going to serve obviously when the crowd are making any noise because it's off-putting. That's something that in tennis is a rule really. All of the players obviously wait until the crowd is silent.”

But the British No 1 did say that they were perhaps partly to blame for him being penalised a point after two warnings for from the umpire – and playfully suggested that the man in the chair, Carlos Ramos, would surely have struggled to hear any obscenities, for which he was penalised.

“I didn't know why he'd called 30- Love. I didn't actually hear I'd been given the second warning. It's obviously very loud after the point. That was why I went to speak to the umpire, because literally I had no idea about either of the warnings because you can't hear anything on the court. So I'm surprised he could hear what I was saying," added Murray with a wry smile.