GHENT, Belgium — Unheralded British youngster Kyle Edmund faces a Davis Cup baptism of fire when he makes his debut in the final on Friday against Belgium's David Goffin in the opening rubber.
The 20-year-old, ranked just 100th in the world, will join an elite group, including Pete Sampras, to make their debuts in the final of the team event that Britain have not won since the days of Fred Perry in 1936.
The last time Britain reached the final in 1978, John McEnroe played his first Davis Cup singles rubber for their U.S. opponents.
The visiting team's talisman, world number two Andy Murray, will face Ruben Bemelmans in the second rubber of the best-of-five contest on a drop-in claycourt at the 13,000-capacity Flanders Expo.