Great Britain have named their provisional five-man squad for their first Davis Cup final in 37 years.
Joining Andy and Jamie Murray for the final against Belgium later this month are James Ward, Kyle Edmund and Dominic Inglot.
There was no place in the squad for Slovenian-born Aljaz Bedene who is still fighting his ban to represent Great Britain in the competition.
Bedene previously played two dead rubbers for Slovenia. Today he is in Prague with Stephen Farrow, head of legal affairs at the Lawn Tennis Association, to plead for the ban to be overturned.
Bedene is still trying to get his ban over-turned
Should the 26-year-old win his appeal, he could yet be included in the team as captain Leon Smith can change the names up until an hour before the draw ceremony on Nov 26, the eve of the final itself.
If Bedene wins his appeal he will have a strong case for selection in the second singles slot, for his ranking of No 46 in the world is at least 50 places higher than any of his rivals.
Commenting on todays selections, Smith said, “Our GB Davis Cup team is proud to be competing in the Final in Ghent this year. It is an historic moment in British Tennis and I'm delighted to name these five players for the tie against Belgium. Andy has led from the front throughout this campaign, showing time and again what it means to him to pull on the GB jersey. He shows determination, commitment and passion that inspires the other British players on the bench and our fantastic fans in the stands.
“While our team will be spearheaded by Andy, the other guys give us strong options in both the singles and the doubles positions. Jamie is having an outstanding year and is firmly established as a top 10 world ranked doubles player. He has played a key part in our ties this year with vital wins against both France and Australia partnering Andy.
James Ward has been included in GB's team
“Dom is playing some of the best tennis of his career having reached the semi-finals of the US Open and recently the semi-finals of the Paris Masters Series. He played an outstanding Davis Cup match earlier in the year with Jamie against the Bryan brothers, narrowly losing the fifth set. In James Ward, we have a player who really gets the Davis Cup and has had several big wins over the last few years against top 100 players in this competition. Kyle Edmund has had a very good year on the tour, breaking top 100 for the first time and qualifying at both Australian and French Open."
James Ward who has enjoyed a memorable 2015 Davis Cup including a five-set victory over the USA’s John Isner in the first round in Glasgow, said, “It is a very special feeling and a fantastic honour to be chosen to represent your country. To reach the final of the Davis Cup is an incredible achievement for the team especially when you look at where we were playing just a couple of years ago. The 2015 Davis Cup has already given me some of the highlights of my tennis career, and I’m sure the final will be up there too.”
Great Britain last lifted the Davis Cup trophy back in 1936. This year's final takes place at the Flanders Expo Centre in Ghent from Nov 27 to 29.
Meet the GB squad
Andy Murray
Really? Does the British No 1 need an introduction? Current world No 2 with a win record of 68-12 this season and claiming four titles along the way. Is playing at this week's ATP World Tour Finals at the O2.
Jamie Murray
Expected to line-up with brother Andy for what is likely to be the pivotal doubles on the Saturday in Ghent, is making his debut showing at the end-of-season finals at the O2 Arena this week as he competes alongside partner John Peers.
James Ward
Currently down at No 155 in world rankings, the 28-year-old produced his best slam showing at this year's Wimbledon when as a wildcard he reached the third round before losing a five-set thriller to Vasek Pospisil.
Kyle Edmund
Creeps into the world top 100 at a career-high of 99, the 20-year-old is starting another Challenger today in Uruguay, having boarded a 2hr 30min boat from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. Will battle with Ward to make final four-man team.
Dominic Inglot
Will probably end up acting as a reserve while the Murray brothers contest the doubles rubber, the 29-year-old is currently No 23 in the double rankings. Has a win record of 34-21 this season including claiming one title.
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