Davis Cup 2019: Great Britain v Spain in semi-final – live!

Edmund was understated as usual after the match but he was clearly very pleased:

“When you start off the match in this situation. It’s just a lot of noise, obviously full house tonight and obviously they come to support Feli. I just had to be really, really focused and I got off to a good start.”

Edmund’s stats tonight: 69% first serves in, 74% first serves won, 9 aces, 19(!) forehand winners and 19 unforced errors.

A crucial point for Great Britain with Dan Evans now facing the unenviable task of beating Rafael Nadal for the win. Individually, no matter what happens, Edmund has ensured that he will go into 2020 full of confidence after such a tough season. Impressive resilience from the Brit this week.

Edmund comes through a great, essential win to hand Britain the first point today and his third win of the tournament. Another great serving performance from him and he was so clinical in all the complicated moments.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 6-6 (*5-1) Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Great passing shot from Edmund to take a decisive mini-break, then Lopez badly double faulted at 3-1. After a service winner from the Brit, he will serve two points away from victory.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 6-6 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): We’re off to a tiebreak! Edmund opened his final service game of the set with a nice change, throwing in a rare serve and volley himself and easily dispatching the volley. Then he found a big unreturned first serve for 30-0 and then dealt with a tricky high backhand volley to move up 40-0. He sealed the love hold by breaking down Lopez’s weak forehand and eliciting the error. He should take plenty of confidence from what was perhaps his best hold of the set.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *5-6 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Lopez is having no such problems on his own serve. He immediately flitted to 40-15 with some quick big serving and then his 6th ace of the day. On the second game point, he swept into the net behind another big first serve and easily picked off the volley. He’ll do no worse than a tiebreak in this set.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 5-5* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): This has been a tough set on serve for Edmund with plenty of slow starts in his service game. This time, he found himself down 15-40 after spraying a forehand wide.

Edmund saved the first break point with an ace down the T, his 9th of the day, then he slammed down an unreturned wide serve to bring the game to deuce. At deuce, he crushed a whistling forehand down the line winner, then he dismounted with another huge forehand to hold. After such a dire year on the main tour, this man is playing with so much confidence right now. No holding back.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *4-5 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): A glorious moment of inspiration from Lopez to dig himself out of a 15-30 hole with aplomb. How did he respond? He found a sweet sliding first serve at 15-30 and swept forward to pick off the volley, then he placed a really nice unreturned second serve into the corner.

But it was on the game point that the magic arrived. Lopez sped into the net and just about managed to land a drop volley off a low, dipping passing shot from Edmund. Edmund chased it down and tried to dink his backhand past Lopez, who threw himself to the ball at full stretch and just about landed the volley past him. He walked to his chair with his fist in the sky.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 4-4* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Some great work from the Brit to hold to 30 and put the pressure back on Lopez’s shoulders. He keeps on moving forward when he can and he particularly executed a really nice forehand volley at 30-15, finishing the point with an easy overhead. Lopez took the first game point with a really nice return, but Edmund slammed down a huge inside out forehand winner to keep himself ahead.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *3-4 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): There has been a small shift in this second set. While Edmund has had to battle through a few tricky holds, Lopez is serving big and finding plenty of quick holds on his serve. This time, he holds to 15 in the blink of an eye.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 3-3* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Goodness. That was a huge test for Edmund, but he holds from 15-30 down to keep the set on serve. Down 15-30, Edmund found a first serve and Lopez responded with quite a dire attempt at a blocked return.

However, from 30-30 it was all about Edmund. Down to a second serve and with the pressure weighing heavily on his shoulders, Edmund connected with a bomb of a forehand down the line to eradicate the danger. On game point, Lopez chip and charged after a long rally and Edmund found a beautiful angled crosscourt to hold.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *2-3 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Lopez pieces together another solid hold. Edmund opened with a searing backhand down the line passing shot and, whooping towards his team with the hope of driving forward to a decisive break. But Lopez is still serving really well and he eased to a 40-15 lead. Quite a comical drop volley attempt into the net from Lopez on the opening game point, but another big serve keeps him ahead.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 2-2* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Good hold. Edmund is still in the zone on his serve and he quickly connected with a couple of serve and forehand combos to move up 30-0. Lopez attempted to change things up by chipping and charging, but Edmund moved to 40-0 by threading a nice down the line backhand passing shot. Edmund held with another big serve and forehand combination.

Meanwhile, Gerard Pique is in the house. He was on double duty today after playing at home for Barcelona against Leganes earlier on. And now he’s back.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *1-2 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Lopez slams down an easy love hold to keep himself ahead. He opened with two really nice serve and volley points, confidently dispatching both volleys, and then slammed down a couple of big serves to take the game. He looks a lot more confident now that he is serving well and making some progress on Edmund’s serve, but so too does the Brit.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 1-1* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): A real test for Edmund there after couple of loose errors moved him to at 15-30 deficit. Edmund responded extremely well: he crushed a backhand winner at 15-30, then at 30-30 he thumped a big crosscourt forehand behind a big first serve. He held after a rare long rally, Lopez’s forehand eventually falling limply into the net.

Second Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 *0-1 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): A much better start to this set by Lopez, who holds to 15 with a series of big first serves. He has found a nice rhythm on his serve. If he keeps this up, he will be tougher to break in this set.

It is fitting that Edmund started that set with an ace and ended with one. His serving has been brilliant throughout this match so far and it has allowed him to swing freely and attack with few nerves. Lopez began to serve better towards the end of the set and his only hope is if it can keep it up and match Edmund’s serving.

First Set: Kyle Edmund 6-3 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Kyle Edmund takes the first set to 15, sealed to 15 with his 8th ace.

Edmund’s stats are tremendous: 70% first serves in, 84% of first serves in, 8 aces, 8 forehand winners and just 7 unforced errors.

First Set: Kyle Edmund *5-3 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Some very good serving from Lopez now, who streams through a love hold with a series of unreturned serves. Edmund will now attempt to serve this thing out.

First Set: Kyle Edmund 5-2* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): No problem for Edmund on serve once again as he moves through a comfortable hold to 15. Lopez opened the game with a good chip and charge on the opening point, forcing a backhand error from Edmund. But it’s clear that he simply cannot hang with Edmund in any of the rallies. Edmund took control, crushing an couple of huge forehands to move up 40-15. He sealed the hold with a big unreturned serve down the T. One game away from the set.

First Set: Kyle Edmund *4-2 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Despite his lack of confidence on return, Lopez seems to be finding more belief behind his huge lefty serve as plenty of big serving moved him to 40-0. Edmund edged him back to 40-30 with two quality passing shots, but the Spaniard found a brilliant curling wide serve on the third game point and easily put away the volley. We move on.

First Set: Kyle Edmund 4-1* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Another good hold for Edmund, but this one provided his first test of the day. Edmund looked to be cruising up 40-15 until he just lost a bit of concentration, missing a tight backhand volley at 40-15 then shanking a forehand at 40-30. Great work from the Brit from deuce though, finding two big first serves and two huge forehands behind them to hold.

Across the net, Lopez seemed to be asking his team for advice on which side to guess as he attempted to return Edmund’s serve. Oh dear.

First Set: Kyle Edmund *3-1 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): A good hold for Lopez to finally get himself on the board. A really nice reflex forehand volley winner at 30-0, then he connected with a really nice crosscourt forehand winner for 40-0. Another double fault from Lopez at 40-0, but he held with his second service winner of the game. Much better serving from the Spaniard there and that may help him settle into the match.

First Set: Kyle Edmund 3-0* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Edmund’s tremendous serving continues as he easily holds to consolidate the break with just one points lost on serve. The Brit slammed down his fourth and fifth aces in just two service games, then dismounted with a further service winner. This is already ominous for Lopez, who desperately needs to get on the board here.

First Set: Kyle Edmund *2-0 Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): Edmund’s start was about as confident as possible, but that was a disastrous opening service game from Lopez. He missed his first volley on the opening point, then Edmund executed a sweet lob to bring up 0-30, then Lopez double faulted for 0-40. After Lopez saved the first break point, Edmund snapped a brilliant crosscourt return winner past the Spaniard as he came steaming into the net.

First Set: Kyle Edmund 1-0* Feliciano Lopez (GBR 0-0 ESP): That is how you start a Davis Cup semi-final. Edmund opened with three aces in a row, then slipped to the net on the final point and comfortably put away a forehand volley. An easy love hold from Edmund to begin.

Kyle Edmund already had a great opportunity in this first rubber, but on paper it is even bigger now. Although Lopez is the higher-ranked player, that is primarily due to his excellent grass court season, where he shocked himself as well as everyone else by winning Queen’s in both singles and doubles alongside (who else?) Andy Murray. Lopez has been vulnerable on hard courts throughout the year and at 38 years-old he is well aware that the finish line is fast approaching.

On the other hand, Lopez showed at Queen’s that he can still bring an extremely high level at certain moments. These conditions are fast and he will have plenty of chances to move forward and attack the net. This tournament may be Lopez’s last singles opportunity in Davis Cup and the Caja Magica is even more of a home to him than his teammates – he is the tournament director of the Madrid Open played at this stadium. Let’s see what he can bring today.

Some significant news. Feliciano Lopez will take an injured Pablo Carreño Busta’s place in the opening rubber. Lopez and Edmund will be heading out to the court any moment now.

Here is the official running order for tonight. Due to the late finish, play has been delayed and it seems like the players will be on court in about 45 minutes.

Denis Shapovalov is very happy:

It’s honestly unbelievable. I’m in a loss of words. It’s incredible how far we’ve come as a squad.

Canada have reached their first ever Davis Cup Final! Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil defeated Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-3 3-6 7-6(5) to clinch the tightest of 2-1 victories over Russia.

As we prepare for the evening session, the first semi-final between Canada and Russia is going all the way. After Andrey Rublev defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-4 6-4 and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov responded with a 6-4 4-6 6-4 win over Russia’s Karen Khachanov, they are heading to a third set tiebreak in the deciding doubles rubber.

Hello! Welcome to our coverage of semi-final day at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid, where Great Britain’s quite nice run of opponents comes to an end. To reach another final, the team will have to beat the brilliant Spanish team on home soil, spearheaded by Rafael Nadal.

Yesterday, Great Britain came through an evenly-matched tie against Germany with two brilliant performance. First, Kyle Edmund produced a majestic display of attacking tennis, bulldozing Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets. Then Dan Evans shook off his opening two losses to see off Jan Lennard Struff, the top ranked singles player of the tie, in a third set tiebreak.

With Rafael Nadal standing across the net against Evans tonight, the key to victory will almost certainly rest on the opening match between Edmund and Pablo Carreño Busta. Carreño has taken Spain’s second singles spot in tragic circumstances after No 9 Roberto Bautista Agut was forced to withdraw from the knockout stages after the death of his father. Carreño, a former top 10 player himself, struggled in yesterday’s three sets loss to Guido Pella. Given the form he has established in his previous two matches, Edmund should like his chances on these fast courts.

Andy Murray will have to settle for a spot on the bench tonight, but after the form showed by his teammates yesterday, he will almost certainly understand that it was the obvious and correct decision. Look forward to plenty of fistpumping from him throughout the evening.