Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/680484
as a father, proved himself the Davis Cup daddy again with three more wins, capped by an epic five-set, tie-winning effort against Kei Nishikori which identified his indomitable will even more than his exceptional ability. Running out of gas, increasingly heavy- legged and with the fresher Nishikori, who had roared back from two sets down, putting him under enormous pressure in the joint longest match of his career, it needed a performance that only "an amazing man of steel", as his captain Leon Smith hailed him, could deliver. Then it was time to rush back to see wife Kim and four-week-old Sophia at the end of a long day for dad. "I will try and get home for bath time and put her to bed," Murray told the crowd, adding: "Not Kim, the baby!" After his 14th straight win in a Davis Cup rubber, thus breaking the 85-year- old British record of the great Fred Perry, Murray hailed those fans for pulling him through. Funny that, because over 1,000 miles away in Belgrade, another man of steel was offering the same refrain. Novak Djokovic reckoned the noisiest arena in Serbia, the Aleksandar Nikolic, had dragged him through his own crisis before he too managed to subdue an inspired Mikhail Kukushkin. The Kazakh, with his side leading 2-1, had the world's finest player on the ropes, leading two sets to one, and was scenting one of the great Cup sensations before Djoko finally wore him down and stamped on a dream. "I know you've lost your voices after five hours of cheering, you must be tired, but please stay because Viktor is playing now and needs your support to win," Djoko pleaded. Andy Murray recorded his 14th consecutive win in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet clinched a win over Canada Kei Nishikori took Murray to five sets before losing the match and the tie for Japan www.itftennis.com