Andy Murray in doubt for doubles as GB hopes hang by thread

A solemn Andy Murray faces the media after his defeat. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Today’s rubber, in Glasgow, is do or die for Great Britain who now have only slim hopes of being able to defend the trophy they won in Belgium last year in November’s final.

The semi-final currently favours Argentina, with Kyle Edmund losing to Guido Pella after Murray had been bettered by Juan Martin Del Potro in the opening head to head, which went to five sets and lasted a gruelling five hours and seven minutes.

Captain Leon Smith will keep his opposite number guessing as long as he can before naming the pair who will take to the court.

The Murray brothers have won five out of five Davis Cup doubles and would be the preferred option, but the marathon yesterday means the world No 2, who made the difficult choice to play in the opener rather than join his brother at their grandfather’s funeral, has said he is not sure if he will have enough in the tank to see him through another two matches in two days.

“I’ve never played a match that long, so we’ll have to see how I am tomorrow when I wake up,” he said in the aftermath of his loss. “I will probably make a decision then. But I’ve never played a match that long. I’ve played matches close to that length – but none after an extremely long stretch of playing. So I don’t know how I’ll feel when I wake up.”

Prior to yesterday’s encounter the longest he had spent on court was four hours 54 minutes, in the epic 2012 US Open final tussle with Novak Djokovic. Del Potro’s record was four hours 43 minutes, at Wimbledon in 2013.

“Yeah, it was tough,” said Murray. “I don’t know if it was a factor at the end. Both of us were pretty tired at the end. Both of us were going to be tired after that.”

Happy with the way he played despite losing his first ever home Davis Cup rubber, Murray insisted there had been very little between the players.

“I mean, it’s very fine margins. That happens in tennis, happens in sport sometimes. It could have gone either  way.

“He just played a little bit better in the fifth set. But there wasn’t much difference in the  