Argentine Juan Martin del Potro beat Andy Murray in five sets to give his country lead against defending champions, Great Britain in Davis Cup semi-final.
Del Potro won 6-4 5-7 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 after a thrilling five hours and seven minutes to put Argentina 1-0 up in Glasgow.
The 27-year-old former US Open champion becomes only the third man to beat Murray in a Davis Cup singles match after Stan Wawrinka and Fabio Fognini .
British number two, Kyle Edmund, currently takes on Argentine number one, Guido Pella in Friday’s second singles match.
The winners of the best-of-five tie would face France or Croatia in final.
Murray hit 35 aces and battled through the longest match of his career but still came up short against an inspired Del Potro, who lost their four-hour Olympic final last month.
“I won but I still remember the Olympic final. This is very important to me and my team and we are looking to reach another final in the Davis Cup.
“Against Andy you never know when the match will finish. He is a dangerous player, a fighter and great champion. In end I played good forehands and good serves and that was key.” said Del Potro.
Del Potro hit 26 forehand winners and broke serve six times to join Wawrinka and Fognini as the only men to have beaten Murray in Davis Cup singles matches.
The Argentine, ranked 64th as he works his way back after three wrist surgeries, was the better player for the first two hours and earned a break point that would have left him serving for a two-set lead.
Murray clung on, however, levelling at one set all after breaking serve for 7-5, following a call from the crowd on set point that incensed Del Potro and Argentine captain Daniel Orsanic.
Del Potro’s mix of slow, sliced backhands and huge forehands continued to trouble Murray, but the Wimbledon champion twice came back from a break down in the third before saving set point with a stunning forehand lob.
