by Deuce I think this deserves its own separate topic - even if the formats are being modified far too much of late.
Canada playing Serbia in Serbia is one of the confrontations happening now...
Leylah is locked in a very tough battle with Danilovic at the moment... Leylah won the 1st set 7-5, and lost the 2nd, 4-6. Playing the deciding set now. Very close match in which Leylah has been trying to match Danilovic's power rather than play her usual eclectic game of much variety. This is a match she should win.
Leylah's toss is much better in this match than it's been otherwise this year. She's caught a few tosses today - maybe 5 or 6 overall, but that's nothing compared to some other matches this year.
She's up 4-1 in the 3rd now.
Rebecca Marino is the other singles player for Canada, as Andreescu is, of course, injured again, and Bouchard declined to play. Fichman and Zhao will play doubles, as Gaby Dabrowski is resting a foot injury.
So Leylah is the top ranked player for Canada at #72. That's a lot of pressure for the kid to lead this team. I think Marino will end up being the de facto leader of the team, with her age and experience. And she's got a steady head on her shoulders. She's a great mentor for Leylah.
Feel free to post on this or any other current or future Fed/BJK Cup matchup... or Davis Cup when that occurs...
by ponchi101 Are we including the Laver Cup here, or are we in agreement that is an exo? And the ATP CUP, earlier in the year?
by Deuce
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:27 pm
Are we including the Laver Cup here, or are we in agreement that is an exo? And the ATP CUP, earlier in the year?
I'd like to keep this thread exclusively for Davis Cup and Fed/BJK Cup, as those are the ones with tradition, and which have a long history and which can be compared to each other.
To me, the Laver Cup is definitely an exhibition, and the ATP Cup is a gimmick.
by Deuce Leylah pulled it out in the end - but not easily.
She was up 4-1 and 5-2 in the 3rd... but that narrowed down to 5-4. And Danilovic had points to tie it at 5. But Leylah gutted it out and won.
Not a very pretty match - but these gutsy matches build more character than the pretty ones do.
by Deuce And Marino won her match in straight sets over Nina Stojanovic after Leylah had set the pace with her win.
Canada is now in the driver's seat, which is somewhat of a surprise, given Leylah's lack of experience and having to be Canada's top player, and the stop/start nature of Rebecca's return to tennis after being away from it for 6 years.
Just need to win one more tomorrow, and it's done - which looks like a distinct possibility, based on today.
It's interesting to hear people (commentators, Canada's captain, former player Heidi El-Tabakh, etc.) now saying what I've been saying for almost 3 years - that Leylah's greatest strength is her drive, ambition, focus, and determination. The first time I saw her play at 15 years old, I saw that that set her apart from all others, and that it was, and would be, her greatest asset.
by Deuce Leylah clinched it for Canada - 3-0.
Leylah didn't play a good 1st set, and lost 3-6. She began the 2nd set the same way, being broken, and was down 3-1. But then she began playing better - she broke back, then held serve, and then broke again. As she began playing better, Stojanovic's level dropped at the same time.
It would still be a difficult match for Leylah to win, though.
Leylah ended up winning 5 straight games to win the 2nd set 6-3.
But Stojanovic played a really good last game in the 2nd set. If she kept that level up, and Leylah kept her level up, it would be a very interesting 3rd set.
And it was a very interesting 3rd set - high quality tennis from both players.
Leylah was serving for the match at 5-3, but the nerves got to her, and a double fault allowed Stojanovic to break her rather easily. Then, in the 10th game, on Leylah’s 5th match point, some of the lights in the arena went out. And so there was a delay of about 10 - 15 minutes. When play resumed, Stojanovic saved that 5th match point. But Leylah then got a 6th match point right away... And the lights went out for Serbia as Leylah finally put it away.
She doesn't cease to impress.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 On the opposite side of success, Podoroska's RG semi-final appears to be truly in the rearview mirror. She dropped both her singles and Kazakhstan moved through.
She is struggling. And that was basically her home court (she is from Rosario, a 3 hour drive)
by Deuce In other Fed/BJK Cup Ties...
Katie Boulter led Great Britain over Mexico 3-1, as Heather Watson lost her reverse singles vs. Giuliana Olmos...
Poland beat Brazil 3-2, with the veteran Urszula Radwanska losing her only singles match...
No surprise in Latvia - with Sevastova and Ostapenko - beating India...
Svitolina (2) and Kostyuk (1) won their singles matches in a Ukraine victory over Japan...
Italy beat Romania 3-1 (Monica Niculescu is the playing Captain of the Romanian team, making me feel old, as I remember her from Juniors)...
The Kiki Bertens led Netherlands had to go the distance to beat China...
And, as ponchi mentioned, Kazakhstan beat Argentina. They had to play all 5 matches, as Nadia Podoroska lost her 2 singles matches for Argentina, but, surprisingly, the 430th ranked Maria Lourdes Carle beat BOTH Rybakina and Putinseva to push it to the deciding doubles match. The Tie included three 6-0 sets in 5 matches - two of which were in 3rd sets.
by ti-amie
Deuce wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:52 am
In other Fed/BJK Cup Ties...
Katie Boulter led Great Britain over Mexico 3-1, as Heather Watson lost her reverse singles vs. Giuliana Olmos...
Poland beat Brazil 3-2, with the veteran Urszula Rdwanska losing her only singles match...
No surprise in Latvia - with Sevastova and Ostapenko - beating India...
Svitolina (2) and Kostyuk (1) won their singles matches in a Ukraine victory over Japan...
Italy beat Romania 3-1 (Monica Niculescu is the playing Captain of the Romanian team, making me feel old, as I remember her from Juniors)...
The Kiki Bertens led Netherlands had to go the distance to beat China...
And, as ponchi mentioned, Kazakhstan beat Argentina. They had to play all 5 matches, as Nadia Podoroska lost her 2 singles matches for Argentina, but, surprisingly, the 430th ranked Maria Lourdes Carle beat BOTH Rybakina and Putinseva to push it to the deciding doubles match. The Tie included three 6-0 sets in 5 matches - two of which were in 3rd sets.
Thanks Deuce!
by ti-amie I just saw this...
by Deuce
ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:58 pm
I just saw this...
That's nice... but I see it as a type of attempted bribery.
They're trying desperately to ruin Davis Cup by implementing a completely new system, and creating the 'ATP Cup'... and they expect us to forgive them for doing that just because they're going back to a historic site?
This is why I don't follow Davis Cup. Too confusing. I can barely handle going from one lower group to the higher group, but not a middle step of qualifiers. Too much.
by ponchi101 They made a mess of it, really. In the past, it was not simple but it was orderly.
It truly makes no sense to watch it anymore. They took a venerable competition and turned it into a joke. I don't watch it either anymore. They could have let it die and remain a thing of lore, but...
by Deuce It's obvious that they're making a deliberate and concerted effort to kill Davis Cup - so that they can replace it with the bubble gum of the Laver Cup and ATP Cup.
It's very sad.
by JazzNU
Tennis champs Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev headline Davis Cup finals rosters
Associated Press
LONDON -- Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev headline the rosters announced Monday for the Davis Cup finals that begin next month.
Djokovic, a 20-time major champion who fell one win short of a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2021, is joined on Serbia's squad by Filip Krajinovic, Dusan Lajovic, Laslo Djere and Miomir Kecmanovic.
Medvedev, who is ranked No. 2 and claimed his first Grand Slam title by beating Djokovic in the final at Flushing Meadows in September, leads a Russian team that includes No. 6 Andrey Rublev, No. 19 Aslan Karatsev, No. 30 Karen Khachanov and Evgeny Donskoy.
Eighteen countries will participate in group-stage matches starting Nov. 25 on indoor hard courts in Madrid; Innsbruck, Austria; and Turin, Italy. After quarterfinals in those cities, the semifinals and final will be held in Madrid.
Spain is the reigning champion thanks to its 2019 title; the Davis Cup was called off last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Full Rosters (listed by group for the opening stage):
by ti-amie All it takes is one idiot to cause something like this. It's why so many weddings have been very small, immediate family and (maybe) attendants. The Pegula's being a sports family though does give me pause about how strictly mask mandates and/or vaccine status were enforced.
by JazzNU Domi was with Team Slovakia during one of their final trainings for BJK/Fed Cup.
by JazzNU It's rough with the ATP's ridiculously long schedule, but the Fed Cup's scheduling this week against a Masters is rough. I'm not sure when they'll be showing one of the matches from start to finish that isn't to win the whole thing. I know some of that is about not as many top players showing up this time, but Kerber vs. Krejcikova is one of the biggest ones they'll have and Tennis Channel didn't cut in to show anything besides match point not counting the 4-box match update coming back from a commercial breaks.
by Deuce In Canada, we're getting all of Canada's matches vs. France and Russia on two nation-wide cable TV sports networks - one in English, one in French.
We're also getting Paris on two other nation-wide cable TV sports networks (again one English, and one French).
That said, I saw Abanda win Canada's first match over Ferro (not a high quality match from either player - Abanda pretty much gutted it out, with considerable help from Ferro), but haven't yet watched Marino vs. Cornet, or the doubles.
by Deuce Canada beat France 2-1, with Dabrowski and Marino winning the doubles match over Cornet and Burel.
Neither team had their best players - Canada without Andreescu and Leylah, and France without Mladenovic and Garcia (Garcia is on the team, but did not play for some reason). While France was favoured - more because they're the defending champions than because of their current lineup -, I wouldn't call Canada's win an upset. The only 'upset' was Abanda beating Ferro - but that was an upset only insofar as rankings go - not a real upset to me.
Cornet beat Marino - no real surprise there.
And I think Canada would have been the favourites in doubles, if only because of Dabrowski's vast experience - and nice success - in that particular discipline.
Indeed, Gaby was the best player of the four - by far. And she played with full confidence and showed her leadership qualities. I was impressed. I remember telling her that she had great hands as a Junior - I figured she'd be a good doubles player... But the additional leadership qualities are a pleasant surprise.
And Sylvain Bruneau (ex Andreescu coach) has re-taken his role as captain of the team for this Final, as Heidi El-Tabakh, who took over the captaincy from Bruneau a few years ago, is off getting married. So Bruneau's been there plenty of times before, and knows what he's doing.
Russia is next for Canada. In that matchup, Canada are more the underdog than they were vs. France - but if this, too, is decided by the doubles, Canada has a legitimate chance. Getting there will be tough, though...
Last minute change for Canada as Abanda can't play because of a foot injury... so Carol Zhao replaces her in the first match vs. Kasatkina.
Zhao, who went the 'college route' and played for Stanford, is an intelligent and articulate individual who is also a rather accomplished singer/songwriter in her spare time.
by meganfernandez Love the background - thanks! Maybe Zhao will have a chance against Ferro, if that's who she plays. Agree that Gaby is a big asset for Canada. Wasn't she touted as a potential top singles player, then injuries got in the way? Was she a top world junior when she was at Saddlebrook?
Deuce wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:10 am
Canada beat France 2-1, with Dabrowski and Marino winning the doubles match over Cornet and Burel.
Neither team had their best players - Canada without Andreescu and Leylah, and France without Mladenovic and Garcia (Garcia is on the team, but did not play for some reason). While France was favoured - more because they're the defending champions than because of their current lineup -, I wouldn't call Canada's win an upset. The only 'upset' was Abanda beating Ferro - but that was an upset only insofar as rankings go - not a real upset to me.
Cornet beat Marino - no real surprise there.
And I think Canada would have been the favourites in doubles, if only because of Dabrowski's vast experience - and nice success - in that particular discipline.
Indeed, Gaby was the best player of the four - by far. And she played with full confidence and showed her leadership qualities. I was impressed. I remember telling her that she had great hands as a Junior - I figured she'd be a good doubles player... But the additional leadership qualities are a pleasant surprise.
And Sylvain Bruneau (ex Andreescu coach) has re-taken his role as captain of the team for this Final, as Heidi El-Tabakh, who took over the captaincy from Bruneau a few years ago, is off getting married. So Bruneau's been there plenty of times before, and knows what he's doing.
Russia is next for Canada. In that matchup, Canada are more the underdog than they were vs. France - but if this, too, is decided by the doubles, Canada has a legitimate chance. Getting there will be tough, though...
Last minute change for Canada as Abanda can't play because of a foot injury... so Carol Zhao replaces her in the first match vs. Kasatkina.
Zhao, who went the 'college route' and played for Stanford, is an intelligent and articulate individual who is also a rather accomplished singer/songwriter in her spare time.
by ti-amie Old habits are hard to break...
by ti-amie But all's well that ends well...
by Deuce
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:14 pm
Love the background - thanks! Maybe Zhao will have a chance against Ferro, if that's who she plays. Agree that Gaby is a big asset for Canada. Wasn't she touted as a potential top singles player, then injuries got in the way? Was she a top world junior when she was at Saddlebrook?
Zhao played a decent 1st set vs. Kasatkina, but the difference between the two players was evident in the 2nd set.
Marino took the 2nd set from Pavlyuchenkova, but the 3rd set wasn't close.
by meganfernandez Collins is having a good tournament. She might be the MVP if the US Wins the cup. She said she played the perfect match against Sorribes Tormo to win 1 and 0, one of those days when everything worked. Now this.
by meganfernandez The unluckiest of net cords... Sloane was close to winning the match, up 6-1, 4-4 and 15-all. Then this happened, and Samsonova came back.
by Suliso It will be Russia vs Switzerland in BJK cup final.
by JazzNU Third loss for Belinda this season to Samsonova. I hadn't even heard of Samsonova this time last year.
Not a fan of Russia and their sports programs, so I'll skip giving them credit and just say congrats to the players on that team, most of whom I like in one way or another. Nicely done.
by mick1303
JazzNU wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 7:53 pm
Third loss for Belinda this season to Samsonova. I hadn't even heard of Samsonova this time last year.
Not a fan of Russia and their sports programs, so I'll skip giving them credit and just say congrats to the players on that team, most of whom I like in one way or another. Nicely done.
How is tennis influenced by "sports programs"? This is an individual sport, not giving many Olympic medals. For the 99% of their time players represent just themselves rather than a country. This Cup is a rare exception, but is not popular (sadly)
by JazzNU
by meganfernandez
I don’t know all the details on the drama, but Russia changed the lineup late and the Swiss were pissed. Talked about it in the press conferences.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by JazzNU The Swiss complaining about things within the rules that but maybe shouldn't be done is real special. Similar to the rules allowing a shady MTO before your opponent's serve in a gold medal match at the Olympics.
by ti-amie The blowback against the Swiss by Tennis Twitter has been hard and vicious.
by Deuce We all know that Russian sport has a well defined history of cheating in various ways. Honest competitiveness has not been their strong point over the years. That reputation doesn't mean that the Fed Cup team did anything wrong or questionable... but it doesn't really help their claim that their last minute substitution was made out of necessity, rather than out of gamesmanship.
But it must also be said that the winning country was decided on the court. On the court, the Swiss and the Russians had equal opportunity to win each match.
All that said, it's very sad that 'social media' turns everything into a pathetic reality show.
by mick1303 Why substituting a player is "gamesmanship" or even "cheating"? Isn't it an obligation of Davis Cup/Fed Cup captain to select the best suited player for each particular rubber? Otherwise what would be a role of a captain? Looks like a classic case of sour grapes on part of Swiss.
by meganfernandez
mick1303 wrote:Why substituting a player is "gamesmanship" or even "cheating"? Isn't it an obligation of Davis Cup/Fed Cup captain to select the best suited player for each particular rubber? Otherwise what would be a role of a captain? Looks like a classic case of sour grapes on part of Swiss.
Yeah but they might have manipulated the rules to get the matchup they most wanted. If they had nominated Samsonova in the original lineup, she wouldnt have played Bencic. That’s the issue.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by JazzNU Bencic was also free and clear to just beat Samsonova. Only one of those two players has been a top 10 player with a ton of success on the WTA tour. To a very large extent, the issue is that Belinda lost the match.
This is reminding me of basketball or football when someone is complaining about running up the score on them and how that's unfair and an unwritten rule that you shouldn't do. The answer to that nonsense is almost always, you're welcome to play defense at any point.
by ponchi101 I go even to the extreme. The opposing team stole your signs? Be better at keeping them safe.
Plus: you are not playing the Barefoot Carmelites. Your captain should be ready for these things.
by Deuce It's interesting that some of you who find this and other questionable behaviour (in various sports) to be acceptable are also the ones who complain the loudest about the questionable use of Medical Time-Outs in tennis.
More than anything, it's a matter of respect.
To do what the Russians did smells a lot like gamesmanship. They arranged for Pavlyuchenkova to play Bencic. And so Bencic, and the Swiss team, prepared a game plan for Bencic to play Pavlyuchenkova. Should they also have prepared a game plan for Bencic to play Samsonova and any other player whom it was legal to substitute for Pavlyuchenkova? I, personally, don't think so, because it takes time and strategy thinking to prepare a game plan. They trusted the word of the Russians that Pavlyuchenkova would play - because that's what they were told.
So, if the Russians did this deliberately to mislead the Swiss team, wanting them to prepare for Pavlyuchenkova knowing full well that Samsonova would be slotted in at the last minute, then it was a cheap ploy. That it was done legally perhaps indicates that this rule needs to be reviewed so that it can be modified so as to not allow this to occur again.
Yes, Bencic had an opportunity to beat Samsonova. But if the Russians were able to prepare a game plan well in advance for Samsonova to play Bencic, while the Swiss did not have the same length of time to prepare a game plan for Bencic to play Samsonova, then the rule needs to be reviewed to prevent its further abuse and manipulation, and ensure that both teams always have equal opportunities to prepare - except in case of legitimate injury.
'Legitimate injury' is where the issue becomes cloudy, of course. The Russian doctor can claim that the injury to Pavlyuchenkova was legitimate. Fine. But I feel the rule should be altered to not allow substitutions within, say, 2 hours of the beginning of the match, rather than the current 15 minutes. For, if a player is legitimately injured and unable to play, 99 times out of 100, the team in question will know this 2 hours before the beginning of the match.
by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:58 pm
I go even to the extreme. The opposing team stole your signs? Be better at keeping them safe.
Plus: you are not playing the Barefoot Carmelites. Your captain should be ready for these things.
Both are true. Swiss could, maybe should, have been prepared for it, but it doesn't let Russia off the hook if it was gamesmanship. The onus is on everyone to play fair.
I'm not sure it really threw Bencic off - she won the first set - or taints Russia's win. But those are also separate issues from whether Russia did something crappy, and I'm about 50/50 on whether they did, maybe slightly tilting to yes, they did. I doubt Pavs's condition changed between the time they submitted the lineup and the time she withdrew, 50 minutes later.
Deuce wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 6:11 amSo, if the Russians did this deliberately to mislead the Swiss team, wanting them to prepare for Pavlyuchenkova knowing full well that Samsonova would be slotted in at the last minute, then it was a cheap ploy. That it was done legally perhaps indicates that this rule needs to be reviewed so that it can be modified so as to not allow this to occur again.
I don't think the preparation issue is the biggest one. The reason for submitting Pavs originally is because that was the only way to get Bencic-Samsonova match, regardless of whether the timing of it threw off Bencic's prep or not. If it did, that was a bonus. But the Swiss couldn't have assumed a Pavs matchup, especially since she was hurt. So Bencic was technically only misled for less than an hour. Russia's bigger crime, in my eyes, is being disingenous to get the matchup they wanted. If they did.
Any yes, the rule needs to be reviewed and maybe adjusted for a best-of-3 match. It's a holdover from the best-of-5 Fed Cup format, to avoid a repeat matchup when 1 played 2 then 1 played 1 and 2 played 2. In B3, it's not an issue. It's only 1 vs 1 and 2 vs 2.
by ashkor87 Nothing on Davis Cup yet?!
by ashkor87 I loved the original format, as a boy, I got to see some great players live just because of Davis Cup. There wasn't a single tournament of any kind in my country then, and we did not have TV! Of course, nowadays with a global TV setup, much of the charm of the original format is gone..but one of the good things Davis Cup did was to take great, or, atleast, good, players to countries and audiences who might otherwise not see any tennis at all..that is still a need I feel .
by ashkor87 No sensible captain would choose Sloane to play in BjK cup..she always wilts under this kind of pressure..some players just don't do well when playing for their country..
by ashkor87 Sampras was a bit like that too..lost many matches you would expect him to win.. it is not to single out Sloane...
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:56 amSampras was a bit like that too..lost many matches you would expect him to win.. it is not to single out Sloane...
Ah, I would disagree. Sampras played in several DC ties, winning (IIRC, not going to look it up) two (one playing doubles only).
Remember the 1995 DC final Vs Russia. Pete played that monster match vs Chenokov, collapsing at the end because the Russians had soaked the court so much it was unplayable (they got fined $25,000 for that). Then Courier lost to Kafelnikov and Gullikson changed the doubles to Sampras/Martin, telling them to forget about second serves. They went for first serves in all serves and it worked out. On Sunday, Pete beat Yevgeny in what was a truly heroic performance.
And then, it literally got page 32 in Sports Illustrated and Pete said that if that was what it meant for the USA, he was out.
And I could not blame him.
by JazzNU
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:33 am
No sensible captain would choose Sloane to play in BjK cup..she always wilts under this kind of pressure..some players just don't do well when playing for their country..
Really odd time for this take. Shelby didn't look good in her first match, almost cost Team USA the chance to advance. Shelby also played doubles and lost. Sloane played the second match that Shelby was slated for and won and helped the team advance to the semis. She competed well, but ultimately lost a competitive 3-set match against Samsonova, who had a great week and also helped Russia seal the victory.
Can't read the article but I'm guessing this is the subtext
by ti-amie And here we go. The optics of this is so bad they had to say they haven't made a final decision.
by ponchi101
ti-amie wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:12 pm
And here we go. The optics of this is so bad they had to say they haven't made a final decision.
...
Completely. First they disemboweled the event (when they changed the format). Now, they are selling the corpse.
Just let it die. If players do not want to represent their country, fine. But don't turn it into the Davis Brothel's Cup.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:33 am
No sensible captain would choose Sloane to play in BjK cup..she always wilts under this kind of pressure..some players just don't do well when playing for their country..
Really odd time for this take. Shelby didn't look good in her first match, almost cost Team USA the chance to advance. Shelby also played doubles and lost. Sloane played the second match that Shelby was slated for and won and helped the team advance to the semis. She competed well, but ultimately lost a competitive 3-set match against Samsonova, who had a great week and also helped Russia seal the victory.
Really odd time, is true .I wasn't following BJK live, not covered much where I live. Just my opinion that Sloane is a poor choice for BJK cup, if I remember right, her record in FedCup is not great.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:56 amSampras was a bit like that too..lost many matches you would expect him to win.. it is not to single out Sloane...
Ah, I would disagree. Sampras played in several DC ties, winning (IIRC, not going to look it up) two (one playing doubles only).
Remember the 1995 DC final Vs Russia. Pete played that monster match vs Chenokov, collapsing at the end because the Russians had soaked the court so much it was unplayable (they got fined $25,000 for that). Then Courier lost to Kafelnikov and Gullikson changed the doubles to Sampras/Martin, telling them to forget about second serves. They went for first serves in all serves and it worked out. On Sunday, Pete beat Yevgeny in what was a truly heroic performance.
And then, it literally got page 32 in Sports Illustrated and Pete said that if that was what it meant for the USA, he was out.
And I could not blame him.
That Chesnokov match was dramatic but Sampras should not have had such a hard time beating him. Sampras record in Davis Cup is 15-8..not comparable with, say, McEnroe's
by ponchi101 Well, but you are talking about the winningest US player of all time, in DC (I think). By definition, no one compares
by ashkor87 Agassi, his own contemporary, was 30-6!
by ti-amie
I posted this here and in the C19 and tennis thread.
by ti-amie Didn't want to say but here is the confirmation of who the player is.
by ti-amie
by Deuce I wish the team the best - but Pedro's a long way from his prime with the Expos and Red Sox...
by ashkor87 Doubles seems to matter a lot in this format..a welcome change! On paper, Croatia and France have the best doubles teams? But Davis Cup sometimes brings out heroic performances, some great singles players play doubles for the first time, with an unfamiliar partner, and still win..Nadal used to do that, I remember..maybe Djokovic this time? would be interesting..
by ponchi101 The new format makes it almost impossible for heroic performances. Best of three does not lend itself to matches that are in that category. Plus not having a "home crowd" (only the Spaniards could claim that) makes it less than vociferous crowds.
If they were going to have all ties played in one place, they should have rotated them. The current champs get to host the event. Let's have everybody go there and try to knock them down.
by mick1303 Don't you think that this topic shall be not a single discussion, but rather a folder on the level with "ATP/WTA tournaments" and "Grand Slams"? This way Laver Cup and such can also be discussed under this roof. And also some historical events (Dusseldorf Team Cup, World Cup of the 70s (matches between USA and Australia).
by ponchi101 Sure. Sounds like a good idea. Let's do something: you tell me how you want to call that Sub-forum, and which topics should go there, and I will do the moving.
by Deuce As discussed in the first few posts of this thread, I'd prefer to keep the Fed/BJK Cup and Davis Cup separate in some way from the Laver Cup and ATP Cup.
The latter two are simply gimmick creations of the powers that be for the purpose of making extra money.
The Fed/BJK Cup and Davis Cup have a lot of history behind them.
Although the powers that be have been trying their best in recent years to ruin the Fed/BJK Cup and Davis Cup, there is still an obvious distinction to be made between them and the other two.
I guess having a forum - or folder - for the various 'Country Cups', and then separate topics (threads) for each one would work.
But what would this thread here become? Would it remain for Davis Cup and Fed/BJK Cup? Or would those two events be separated into two different threads (retaining each post in this thread, but just separating them) - which I guess is feasible, but I'm not sure it's necessary to go to the trouble of doing that.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:48 pm
Sure. Sounds like a good idea. Let's do something: you tell me how you want to call that Sub-forum, and which topics should go there, and I will do the moving.
The name of this thread - "Country Cups" is fine with me. Let's create a folder (Sub-forum) with such name. Inside this folder you could create separate threads for Davis Cup, Fed/BJK Cup, Laver Cup, ATP Cup, what have you. This way these tournaments will be easier to navigate to in the site structure and they will be separated from each other (for those who consider some of them "more exhibition" than others).
This existing thread could be moved inside this folder and called "original thread" or "old thread".
Otherwise (if you leave everything as is) in the middle of the season this thread is likely to get buried somewhere in other WTA/ATP threads.
by ponchi101 Ok. This topic has been moved to a new subforum, which you can see the name.
No posts or attachments should have been lost, as it was just a simple move to a new folder.
Three topics were moved: this one, LAVER CUP and OLYMPICS. I gather that once we start a topic for the January ATP CUP it should be started here.
This topic could be split in two, but that would mean a lot of searching for DAVIS CUP and then BJK cup. I don't want to do that, so it remains for either event.
Hope this works
by ti-amie
by ti-amie This is why you can't compare eras in tennis.
by ti-amie
by mick1303 Rublev righted himself in the doubles, but there is absolutely no excuse for losing to Lopez.
by ponchi101
mick1303 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:41 am
Rublev righted himself in the doubles, but there is absolutely no excuse for losing to Lopez.
Best of three format, Feli plays a style nobody sees anymore (a little serve and volley, mixed with, admittedly, a very good slice BH). Yes, surprising, but on the other hand, Rublev has regressed this year. He should have won (Rublev) but after a long year, he might be looking at that ticket to the Maldives and crash out.
On different news: Colombia eliminated the USA. Nicolas Mejia, #245 in the world, knocked out Tiafoe. Right after we said there were no more heroic performances in DC.
by ashkor87 Players who were once very good can always find their game for one game, especially 3 sets..one of the fun things about this format...
by ponchi101 That too. Jimmy Connors, 1991 USO. Found his game for two weeks, had a little luck, and it was legendary.
by mick1303
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 3:48 pm
Players who were once very good can always find their game for one game, especially 3 sets..one of the fun things about this format...
Feli was "very good" at providing viewing experience. But results-vise - nah. The guy has no forehand.
by mick1303 Once Davis Cup will be done, I will be ready to calculate weighted ranking. In addition to 2021 results, some old tournaments were added. Most notably - World Cup (USA-Australia matches that were held from 1970 to 1980). Also one non-critical but annoying error was fixed. It had to do with accounting for tournaments without ranking points and/or without title. Some new tournaments emerged (Laver Cup, NextGen, ATP cup) and existing calculation was counting them towards total number of tournaments for each player. Then this number was used as denominator in calculating rated ranking and share of tournaments won from all entered. And this lead to unjustly punishing the players who participated there. Now this error is fixed - separate counts are implemented.
Feli was "very good" at providing viewing experience. But results-vise - nah. The guy has no forehand.
I thought he had no BH.
He has 7 career titles and over 500 wins (501/475). That is not a shabby career in tennis.
Yes, he is not a challenger level player. But Rublev twice reached top 8 and played masters at only 24. Clearly Feli is levels below.
by ponchi101 Sure, but that is the reason we have the Lucho Hornas, and Jaime Izagas, and Lori McNeil's of our sport. Every once in a while, they knock down a very good one.
by mmmm8 I'm not saying he is a better player than Rublev, but a top 15 singles player in the world and top 10 in doubles (with a slam) qualifies as "very good" at least. He's also been on 5 winning Davis Cup teams.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 3:48 pm
Players who were once very good can always find their game for one game, especially 3 sets..one of the fun things about this format...
Feli was "very good" at providing viewing experience. But results-vise - nah. The guy has no forehand.
Won Queens not so long ago, if my memory serves...
by ashkor87 Doubles has turned out to be crucial..GB and Croatia....when 1 out of 3 is doubles, it is bound to be more important than when it was 1 out of 5
by ponchi101 It was the sole thing about the old format that was a bit odd. One doubles match meant it was not that important.
But now, it can be 1/3 of the points.
by mick1303 Would be interesting to count what share of ties was decided by doubles
by ponchi101 Sure. But how would you do that? The doubles match was played on Saturday, with two pending singles still. So it was only the decider if one team was up 2-0, hardly making it critical for the team up 2, and although vital for the 0-2 team, they would still need two more, equally important. If they were 1-1, the doubles could be as much as a decider as the first win for either team.
Very difficult to say that a doubles match ever decided a DC tie. In Fed cup, at least they played it as the last match, making it more relevant.
It's airing on CBS Sports Network? That means it's basically in the Witness Protection Program.
by dmforever Honestly to me it seems like they want it to fail. I remember watching Davis Cup ties (even when the US wasn't still in it) in the US on ESPN and then TC. If this thread hadn't been here, I wouldn't have even known it was happening, and I (like all of y'all) are much more into tennis than the average person.
Kevin
by JazzNU
dmforever wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 12:54 am
Honestly to me it seems like they want it to fail. I remember watching Davis Cup ties (even when the US wasn't still in it) in the US on ESPN and then TC. If this thread hadn't been here, I wouldn't have even known it was happening, and I (like all of y'all) are much more into tennis than the average person.
Kevin
Oh I think they do. Or at least the ATP and the Grand Slams not named RG don't care if it succeeds. When I tell you that the ATP and the US Open will Tweet if someone on tour breathes at a tournament, I mean it. But what do I get about the Davis Cup? Nada. But interestingly enough, they seem to be on very good terms with Fed Cup. It's real strange and something is definitely going on behind the scenes.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 30, 2021 10:17 pm
Sure. But how would you do that? The doubles match was played on Saturday, with two pending singles still. So it was only the decider if one team was up 2-0, hardly making it critical for the team up 2, and although vital for the 0-2 team, they would still need two more, equally important. If they were 1-1, the doubles could be as much as a decider as the first win for either team.
Very difficult to say that a doubles match ever decided a DC tie. In Fed cup, at least they played it as the last match, making it more relevant.
No, of course I meant only the last portion of ties, when it is 3 matches and the doubles were the last one.
by ashkor87 Methinks RTF is going to win this thing...though Rublev hasn't been as good as I expected....it is up to Djokovic now to produce some heroics in doubles now- that is the only way RTF can be stopped...
by ashkor87 Though I expect Croatia to get past Serbia anyway, with their strength in doubles...but can they beat RTF? Doubtful ....
by ashkor87 Though I expect Croatia to get past Serbia anyway, with their strength in doubles...but can they beat RTF? Doubtful ....
by ashkor87 Now Serbia looks like winning the first singles!
by ponchi101 Sincerely, on basis of strength, Russia is right now the top team.
But there is so little coverage of the event I can't find any info.
by mick1303 Serbia is in a hole now. Djokovic will have to beat Cilic not spending too much energy and then win against very strong Croat doubles. This is the stuff worthy of G.O.A.T.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 4:03 pm
Sincerely, on basis of strength, Russia is right now the top team.
But there is so little coverage of the event I can't find any info.
I usually download torrents. But even though Russian is my first language, I can't stand Russian commentary. And the matches frequently have only that (( Also you can watch extended highlights on Youtube
by ponchi101 I don't mind Russian commentary. I can assure you it will be less painful than what I have to put up with in L. America.
(Inside joke about my enjoyment of listening to J.L. Clerc, if you have missed my rantings )
by ashkor87 As I expected, doubles is key in this format, and Croatia has one of the best doubles teams
by ashkor87 Djokovic isn't good enough at doubles to beat a good team..Nadal or Murray might have managed it..as I said, doubles is also tennis, and should be considered in the GOAT debate..!
by dmforever
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 8:40 pm
I don't mind Russian commentary. I can assure you it will be less painful than what I have to put up with in L. America.
(Inside joke about my enjoyment of listening to J.L. Clerc, if you have missed my rantings )
I know that you hate his commentary, but I'm not sure why. Is he inaccurate? Banal? Full of himself? Boring?
I kind of want to hear a set of his commentary now. I know. I'm weird.
Kevin
by ponchi101 He is extremely arrogant about when HE played. It takes him 5 minutes to start talking about Vilas.
He makes unbelievable claims. For example, he once said he played against an opponent at Wimbledon who played barefoot. I can't find any reference of that anywhere. He talks about how, for example, Lendl would always try to hit McEnroe when he was at the net, which is a lie, and then about the multiple times Lendl hit McEnroe, which is another lie.
Plus, he always corrects every player that missed one single stroke. EVERYTHING, everything, is a technical mistake. The idea that players can miss a shot is impossible for him to grasp.
At the USO, he made the claim that the men were using balls that were heavier than the women's. In reality, they had EXTRA DUTY felt and REGULAR DUTY felt, but the weights were the same. I tell you, you really don't want to hear him.
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 04, 2021 12:40 am
Djokovic isn't good enough at doubles to beat a good team..Nadal or Murray might have managed it..as I said, doubles is also tennis, and should be considered in the GOAT debate..!
by mick1303 So its Russia vs Croatia. The Russians better win both singles again, because lately Mectic-Pavic look very strong.
by ashkor87
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 04, 2021 2:37 pm
So its Russia vs Croatia. The Russians better win both singles again, because lately Mectic-Pavic look very strong.
yes, very true.. I am a little unsure about Rublev, he hasnt been playing that great - he could lose.. but Mektic-Pavic are looking good. Rublev is said to be a very good doubles player (quoting John McEnroe, who knows a thing or two about doubles) but I havent seen much sign of it lately..
by mick1303 2nd Croatian is Borna Gojo. He is on a bit of a hot streak - moving in the direction opposite to Rublev lately. But basically before this Davis Cup nobody heard of him. But being Davis Cup it brings a unique intangible. In Medvedev-Cilic it is also far from clear. Cilic is no stranger to pressure situations. And brings his record of 30 wins in Davis Cup.
by mick1303 Also Tarpischev is known for bold and paradoxical selections which frequently turn out surprisingly good. Can't remember the most surprising ones right now. Maybe playing Tursunov against Roddick? He could gamble and play Khachanov as a second singles player.
by mick1303 Or maybe given a magnitude of the occasion, playing Youzhny in a deciding 5th rubber in the finals in 2002. Remember he had two grand slam champions on the team and chose Youzhny over Kafelnikov
by ashkor87 I am actually surprised Tarpischev is still around- thought he had been blacklisted or something for his racist comments about Serena and Venus...
by ti-amie
by mick1303 There were 25 ties under the new format: 2 singles and a double.
The tie was split after singles 13 times. Which means that doubles decided the outcome on more than half occasions.
by mick1303 Regarding the finals: it is nice to have a doubles team that almost guarantees a point. But having two top 5 singles players is even better ))
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Russia will be holding a few more of these in the next few years.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:18 pm
Russia will be holding a few more of these in the next few years.
It depends. Davis Cup is a check mark that is necessary to have for a player with high aspirations. But 2nd Davis Cup does not add nearly as much to the resume. Unlike 2nd Slam or 2nd YEC. This year Medvedev checked two big ones. I'm not sure that he will be as relentless in his dedication next time, regarding Davis Cup. After Novak won his Davis Cup in 2010, next time he played full campaign in 2013. Not counting one match in 2011, which he lost to DelPo.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:18 pm
Russia will be holding a few more of these in the next few years.
It depends. Davis Cup is a check mark that is necessary to have for a player with high aspirations. But 2nd Davis Cup does not add nearly as much to the resume. Unlike 2nd Slam or 2nd YEC. This year Medvedev checked two big ones. I'm not sure that he will be as relentless in his dedication next time, regarding Davis Cup. After Novak won his Davis Cup in 2010, next time he played full campaign in 2013. Not counting one match in 2011, which he lost to DelPo.
Yes, that has been the pattern..Federer and Nadal have played once just to win the whole thing, then they play only when needed to avoid elimination, then they go away...Federer had even said as much..
by ponchi101 No, c'mon. Rafa has made it clear that he played DC over and over for love of country. He had 4 of the original one, 1 of the new version.
by ashkor87
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 12:51 am
No, c'mon. Rafa has made it clear that he played DC over and over for love of country. He had 4 of the original one, 1 of the new version.
Really? Must have missed that..Federer certainly intended to play just once...
by mmmm8 Federer and some other players play to win one and then plan to qualify for the Olympics. Which is their right, of course.
by mmmm8
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:46 am
I am actually surprised Tarpischev is still around- thought he had been blacklisted or something for his racist comments about Serena and Venus...
He was fined and suspended from WTA events for a year... but this was back in 2014.
by JazzNU FYI, Belarus is scheduled to compete this weekend in one of the David Cup World Group matchups. Not seeing anything yet, but given it's run by the ITF, you'd think there'd have to be an announcement to align with IOC.
by ponchi101 It would be a consistent position. Banning a TEAM, not players. I see nothing wrong with that.
by ti-amie
14 March 2022
ITF BOARD CONFIRMS REPLACEMENTS FOR RUSSIAN AND BELARUSIAN TEAMS IN 2022 DAVIS CUP AND BILLIE JEAN KING CUP
The International Tennis Federation Board of Directors has confirmed the process for replacing the Russian and Belarusian teams during the 2022 Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup seasons. This follows the suspension of the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) and Belarus Tennis Federation (BTF) from ITF membership and from participation in ITF international team competitions on 1 March 2022.
Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas
As 2021 champions, the RTF team had qualified automatically for the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals. The ITF Board has confirmed that RTF’s position in the Finals will go to the highest-ranked losing semi-finalist in 2021, Australia. Consequently, Australia will not compete in the Qualifiers on 15-16 April 2022. Their opponents, Slovakia, will receive a bye and advance directly to the 2022 Finals.
Belarus were due to compete in the Qualifiers on 15-16 April 2022. Their opponents, Belgium, will receive a walkover and advance directly to the 2022 Finals.
Australia, Slovakia and Belgium will join 2021 runners-up Switzerland at the 2022 Finals alongside the winning nations from the remaining seven Qualifier ties in April and the host nation (to be announced).
Davis Cup by Rakuten
As 2021 champions, the RTF team had also qualified automatically for the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals. The ITF Board has confirmed that RTF’s position in the Finals will go to the highest-ranked losing semi-finalist in 2021, Serbia. As Serbia had been awarded a wild card for the 2022 Finals, the Davis Cup Finals Steering Committee will announce a replacement wild card nation (selected from the 12 losing nations from the 2022 Qualifiers, which were played on 4-5 March 2022) in due course.
That wild card team will compete alongside 2021 finalists Croatia, 2021 semi-finalists Serbia, wild card Great Britain and the 12 nations which recorded victories in the 2022 Qualifiers (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and USA) at the 2022 Davis Cup Finals. The group stage of the Finals will take place across four cities in September before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are hosted at a fifth city in November. These venues will be announced in due course.
Belarus were due to compete in the World Group I Play-offs on 4-5 March 2022. Their opponents, Mexico, received a walkover and will compete in World Group I in September.
To ensure the correct number of teams will compete in both World Group I and World Group II in September, the highest-ranked losing nation from the World Group I Play-offs (Uzbekistan) will compete in World Group I; and the two highest-ranked losing nations from the World Group II Play-offs (China, P.R. and Thailand) will compete in World Group II.
by ashkor87 Now that Svitolina is not playing, USA should progress easily..I really don't like doubles being last, though :- an after-thought..
They seem to be playing on the same surface as the USO..should be quick .. Collins will like it..
by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:21 am
Now that Svitolina is not playing, USA should progress easily..I really don't like doubles being last, though :- an after-thought..
They seem to be playing on the same surface as the USO..should be quick .. Collins will like it..
I agree - the doubles should be played in between the 4 singles matches (after the first 2 singles matches, and before the last 2).
by ashkor87 Having doubles last makes sense if you want to rest the singles players...but nowadays doubles is played mostly by specialists, they also deserve their place in the sun ..
by Deuce Davis Cup was being played when singles players played a lot of doubles, and when the matches were best of 5 sets. I believe that the doubles matches were played in the middle of the singles matches then, as well (as I described above).
To my knowledge, no player ever died from this.
by Deuce Here are the Fed Cup Results after the first day of play (2 matches)...
The only ones which could qualify as surprises are Italy ahead of France and Kazakhstan ahead of Germany.
It's unfortunate that Ostapenko pulled out, as Latvia vs. Canada would have been more interesting with her there.
by JTContinental Alison Riske won an 18-16 tiebreak in her match against Yastremska.
Swiatek continues to buzzsaw through her competition, losing only 1 game total in both of her singles matches.
by ponchi101
JTContinental wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 10:03 am
...
Swiatek continues to buzzsaw through her competition, losing only 1 game total in both of her singles matches.
I think she has the personality to be one of those players that will be very comfy as world #1. She will not feel any pressure to perform up to her ranking.
by ashkor87
Deuce wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:21 am
Davis Cup was being played when singles players played a lot of doubles, and when the matches were best of 5 sets. I believe that the doubles matches were played in the middle of the singles matches then, as well (as I described above).
To my knowledge, no player ever died from this.
But on a different day..all this comes from playing the entire tie in 2 days instead of 3
by Deuce Final Fed Cup results for this weekend...
Ukraine came back to tie it 2-2... then the U.S. won the doubles.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:21 am
Now that Svitolina is not playing, USA should progress easily..I really don't like doubles being last, though :- an after-thought..
They seem to be playing on the same surface as the USO..should be quick .. Collins will like it..
I agree - the doubles should be played in between the 4 singles matches (after the first 2 singles matches, and before the last 2).
After seeing that they cancelled the last match in 5/7 contests once it was over, I'm seeing more logic into putting doubles last.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:21 am
Now that Svitolina is not playing, USA should progress easily..I really don't like doubles being last, though :- an after-thought..
They seem to be playing on the same surface as the USO..should be quick .. Collins will like it..
I agree - the doubles should be played in between the 4 singles matches (after the first 2 singles matches, and before the last 2).
After seeing that they cancelled the last match in 5/7 contests once it was over, I'm seeing more logic into putting doubles last.
But that's exactly the point... the doubles is insignificant in the majority of ties when it's scheduled last. So the winner is decided via the singles only.
Playing the doubles after the first 2 singles would mean that it's always relevant - and so that way, you'd have at least 2 singles matches and the doubles match which are relevant... and potentially 4 players on each team who contribute to the win, rather than just the 2 singles players contributing. As it is a team competition, I feel that the more team members that directly contribute, the better.
When doubles is played last, sure, it can be the dramatic decider. But that doesn't happen often. I think it would be better to guarantee that both singles and doubles ALWAYS contribute.
Plus, I'm sure that the doubles specialists - when they are present on the team - WANT to contribute, as doubles receives so little attention/respect/recognition throughout the year.
by ashkor87 Commendable that Swiatek turned out for BJK..she doesn't even need the practice..unlike Raducanu etc..nice wins by Rybakina, should give her confidence...
by ponchi101 Some players will show up for their country. I believe that Iga is one of them.
I remember that McEnroe, at the top of his bratty years, told everybody: "If it is Davis Cup, just tell me when and where". It meant something for him to wear that flag.
The Argentinians will also always show up for country cups. It means something to them.
by ponchi101 Because we will have this competition in predictions:
Sept 13-18
Group A. Bologna, ITA.
Argentina, Sweden, Croatia, Italy
Group B. Valencia, ESP.
Canada, Korea, Spain, Serbia
Group C. Hamburg, GER
Belgium, Australia, France, Germany.
Group D. Glascow, GBR
Kazakstan, Nederland, Great Britain, USA.
by Deuce Korea vs. Canada was interesting...
Pospisil beat Hong Seong-Chan in 3 sets (2 out of 3) in the first singles match...
Then Kwon Soonwoo beat Felix in straight sets in the second singles match. Felix was up 3-0 and 4-1 in the 1st set, and seemingly in control over his lower-ranked opponent, but then Kwon Soonwoo began playing probably the best tennis of his life... Felix was shell-shocked. He had absolutely no idea what to do to get himself back in the match. Halfway through the 2nd set and down 2 breaks, Felix had triple break point, and ended up losing the game. That was the final nail in the coffin.
Canada (Pospisil and Felix) came back to gut out a win in the doubles in 3 sets. The momentum was going back and forth until Canada took control about halfway through that final set.
This format is horrible, though, with every country except one playing in neutral territory. A lot of the fun of Davis Cup over the years has been the visiting country having to deal with and try to overcome the court and the crowd. It really felt like country vs. country - which was the original purpose of Davis Cup. But now, it feels just like a country team vs. a country team - the court and crowd are neutral (and mostly indifferent).
This is a big part of the plan that the powers that be have to destroy Davis Cup, and to replace it with one gimmicky event or other.
It’s quite sad.
Canada plays Spain next - on Friday. At least there will be some atmosphere on that day, with Spain being the host country.
by Deuce Canada vs. host Spain today...
Bautista-Agut lost the 1st set, but beat Pospisil in 3.
Felix's inconsistency carries over to Davis Cup... After a disappointing performance in singles against Korea, where he looked very uncomfortable, he has come back strong and played an excellent match vs. Alcaraz (and the Spanish crowd) today, losing a tiebreak 1st set, then rebounding to win the last 2 sets in impressive fashion 6-4, 6-2.
Doubles is coming up.
by ti-amie
by Deuce
Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:50 pm
Canada vs. host Spain today...
Bautista-Agut lost the 1st set, but beat Pospisil in 3.
Felix's inconsistency carries over to Davis Cup... After a disappointing performance in singles against Korea, where he looked very uncomfortable, he has come back strong and played an excellent match vs. Alcaraz (and the Spanish crowd) today, losing a tiebreak 1st set, then rebounding to win the last 2 sets in impressive fashion 6-4, 6-2.
Doubles is coming up.
Canada came back to win the doubles, and take the tie 2-1 over Spain.
In the doubles match, Canada (Felix and Pospisil) lost the 1st set, then won the 2nd, and came back from being a break down in the 3rd - they broke back on their last chance with some great returns to even it at 5-5, then held, then broke again with more great returns.
Martinez and Granollers were the Spanish doubles team.
Could this be the turning point in Felix's career; the point where he stops with the 3 steps forward followed by 3 steps back; the point where he finally breaks free of whatever has been holding him back?
Well, I've hoped for that to happen several times before...
by mick1303 The main reason I'm disliking this new format is that they got rid of 5-setters. IMO some of the best and thrilling moments of DC were linked to these mathces.
by skatingfan
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 17, 2022 9:54 am
The main reason I'm disliking this new format is that they got rid of 5-setters. IMO some of the best and thrilling moments of DC were linked to these mathces.
I wish they would find a way to make this event relevant to the sporting world in general. There is no coverage or interest in the broader sports world, and it doesn't even seem to be making much impact in the tennis world either.
by Deuce And that's exactly the way that the tennis 'higher ups' want it. They are doing everything possible to make Davis Cup insignificant and/or unpopular... so that they can 'replace' it with various gimmick exhibitions, which they'll market the hell out of, and make obscene profits for themselves and the sponsors.
by ponchi101
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 17, 2022 9:54 am
The main reason I'm disliking this new format is that they got rid of 5-setters. IMO some of the best and thrilling moments of DC were linked to these mathces.
Nothing will ever replace a fifth set, with a home crowd. Those matches were epic.
This format makes it a travesty.
by Deuce Canada gets through to the Quarter Finals...
Gabriel Diallo played the first singles vs. Serbia yesterday - he's a tall youngster who won the Granby Challenger a few weeks ago. He slotted in for Pospisil, who, as usual, was nursing some injuries. They wanted Pospisil to be fresh for the doubles (more on that later).
Diallo's Davis Cup debut went pretty much as expected - he lost the rather one-sided match to Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-2.
But then Felix stepped up and delivered a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanović. This clinched Canada's place in the Quarter Finals.
The doubles - which Pospisil was supposed to be fresh for - didn't last long because Pospisil retired in the 4th game with a knee injury.
It's difficult to think of a player who has been injured with many different injuries more than Pospisil.
In other Davis Cup news, Great Britain was eliminated, and Andy Murray said that that may have been his final Davis Cup participation (as a player, at least)...
by ti-amie
by mick1303 What are you thoughts of the newly introduced United Cup? BTW, I can't find an info on how much matches (rubbers) will be in a tie.
by ponchi101 As has been said above. It sounds like the Hopman Cup.
We will have to see how the players react to it. I really think that starting it on Dec 29th will cause some problems; some players will want to delay flying to Australia before New Year's day.
But if it replaces the previous bunch of tournaments that were lined up a bit loosely, it might work.
by Deuce I think the 'United Cup' is simply another public relations gimmick to bring in money for the powers that be in tennis - much like the 'ATP Cup', 'Next Gen', etc.
by meganfernandez Mardy Fish on why he left Rajeev Ram off the US Davis Cup team:
"I love Raj and his DC career with me isn’t over.…But this time, Jack will be playing with Frances or Tommy or Taylor. As DC Captain, it’s my job to listen to the players as well. Ultimately, it’s my choice and I make the calls, but I do listen to their thoughts and ideas….I appreciate the question, as it’s important to have folks care about DC. No one wants to win DC more than me, that I can promise you.”
So either Rajeev doesn't play well or doesn't get along with Jack Sock, or Fish wanted the strongest singles bench possible. Right translation? Citing twice that he "listens to the players" suggests their input had some sort of influence. Wertheim confirmed Rajeev doesn't have an injury or scheduling conflict - he just wasn't chosen, despite being ranked #1 and the reigning US Open champion.
by Deuce
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Nov 02, 2022 11:13 pm
Mardy Fish on why he left Rajeev Ram off the US Davis Cup team:
"I love Raj and his DC career with me isn’t over.…But this time, Jack will be playing with Frances or Tommy or Taylor. As DC Captain, it’s my job to listen to the players as well. Ultimately, it’s my choice and I make the calls, but I do listen to their thoughts and ideas….I appreciate the question, as it’s important to have folks care about DC. No one wants to win DC more than me, that I can promise you.”
So either Rajeev doesn't play well or doesn't get along with Jack Sock, or Fish wanted the strongest singles bench possible. Right translation? To me, citing twice that he "listens to the players" suggests their input had some sort of influence. Wertheim confirmed Rajeev doesn't have an injury or scheduling conflict - he just wasn't chosen, despite being ranked #1 and the reigning US Open champion.
Or it might simply be a case of Ram's doubles partner (Joe Salisbury), with whom he has had success and with whom he reached #1 in doubles, is not American - and so if they can't be taken on the Davis Cup team as a doubles team, it diminishes the quality available.
Maybe Ram doesn't have successful on-court chemistry with any of the other American players on the team. Or maybe he has never played doubles with any of them, and so Fish doesn't want to take a chance and merely hope that it will work. Sock and Tiafoe have played doubles together...
Just because a player is a great doubles player does not mean that he will automatically succeed with any partner. There needs to be good chemistry for success to occur - and while a good doubles player brings his playing talent with him, chemistry is a different matter altogether. And the chemistry can only be determined in action on the court.
Or maybe, as you mentioned, Fish wants someone who is not a liability in singles, in case of injury, or COVID, etc.
Everything is speculation.
by ti-amie It's a bit of a surprise but I think Deuce is right here about his doubles partner not being an American.
by meganfernandez
ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Nov 03, 2022 12:12 am
It's a bit of a surprise but I think Deuce is right here about his doubles partner not being an American.
I don't think that's the case. Ram has played with Jack Sock 6 times this year alone. They have enough experiences and success together. I think it's either that Jack prefers to play with Tiafoe and got his way, or Mardy wants as many top singles players as he can get. His call, his strategy. He must think he is gaining more with the singles lineup than he is losing by leaving Ram out, and he might be right.
ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Nov 03, 2022 12:12 am
It's a bit of a surprise but I think Deuce is right here about his doubles partner not being an American.
I don't think that's the case. Ram has played with Jack Sock 6 times this year alone. They have enough experiences and success together. I think it's either that Jack prefers to play with Tiafoe and got his way, or Mardy wants as many top singles players as he can get. His call, his strategy. He must think he is gaining more with the singles lineup than he is losing by leaving Ram out, and he might be right.
Ok, Ram and Sock can play doubles together - but wasn't this viewed mostly as a choice between Sock and Ram?
If they take both, then who do you drop?
Paul would seem to be the one to drop - but, again - you lose a good singles player if you do that. And especially with COVID around - where anyone testing positive is immediately out - you need all the players you can get who can play both singles and doubles.
When was the last time Ram played a singles tournament?
ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Nov 03, 2022 12:12 am
It's a bit of a surprise but I think Deuce is right here about his doubles partner not being an American.
I don't think that's the case. Ram has played with Jack Sock 6 times this year alone. They have enough experiences and success together. I think it's either that Jack prefers to play with Tiafoe and got his way, or Mardy wants as many top singles players as he can get. His call, his strategy. He must think he is gaining more with the singles lineup than he is losing by leaving Ram out, and he might be right.
Ok, Ram and Sock can play doubles together - but wasn't this viewed mostly as a choice between Sock and Ram?
If they take both, then who do you drop?
Paul would seem to be the one to drop - but, again - you lose a good singles player if you do that. And especially with COVID around - where anyone testing positive is immediately out - you need all the players you can get who can play both singles and doubles.
When was the last time Ram played a singles tournament?
Do they have to pick four players plus an alternate? Is that how it works?
If it was a choice between Ram and Sock, and the singles player most likely to play dubs (Tiafoe?) preferred Sock, then that would make sense. I was thinking they'd take both Sock and Ram as a team, like they used to choose the Bryans, and then two strong singles players, and drop either Tommy Paul or whoever is most injured right now, or that person would go as an alternate. But this lineup makes sense, too, especially since Paul just beat Nadal.
by ponchi101 Unless it is an established doubles team (The Bryans, McEnroe/Flemming), I would always pick singles' players.
I don't think that's the case. Ram has played with Jack Sock 6 times this year alone. They have enough experiences and success together. I think it's either that Jack prefers to play with Tiafoe and got his way, or Mardy wants as many top singles players as he can get. His call, his strategy. He must think he is gaining more with the singles lineup than he is losing by leaving Ram out, and he might be right.
Ok, Ram and Sock can play doubles together - but wasn't this viewed mostly as a choice between Sock and Ram?
If they take both, then who do you drop?
Paul would seem to be the one to drop - but, again - you lose a good singles player if you do that. And especially with COVID around - where anyone testing positive is immediately out - you need all the players you can get who can play both singles and doubles.
When was the last time Ram played a singles tournament?
Do they have to pick four players plus an alternate? Is that how it works?
If it was a choice between Ram and Sock, and the singles player most likely to play dubs (Tiafoe?) preferred Sock, then that would make sense. I was thinking they'd take both Sock and Ram as a team, like they used to choose the Bryans, and then two strong singles players, and drop either Tommy Paul or whoever is most injured right now, or that person would go as an alternate. But this lineup makes sense, too, especially since Paul just beat Nadal.
^ That (highlighted) was before COVID.
With COVID comes the increased possibility that a player would have to leave the team due to testing positive.
As such, the threat of a positive COVID test rather forces the captains to modify their choices for who is on the team, with more of an emphasis on doubles players who can play singles if needed.
Interesting that Canada is not participating. I'm glad, as I view this as just another gimmick designed to bring in money.
What on Earth are the criteria for qualifying? I mean, Canada's players are certainly stronger than the players of some of the countries who have 'qualified'.
Perhaps kissing certain people's ass is a significant part of the 'qualification' process, and the Canadians have simply refused to do it...
by ti-amie No way ass kissing is part of doing business in tennis.
/s
by ashkor87 Hadn't even noticed..the Davis Cup is on..too much for my head to handle right now
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 And, of course, not being shown anywhere here.
Hard to be enthusiastic about it this way.
by martini4me
Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:02 pm
Interesting that Canada is not participating. I'm glad, as I view this as just another gimmick designed to bring in money.
What on Earth are the criteria for qualifying? I mean, Canada's players are certainly stronger than the players of some of the countries who have 'qualified'.
Perhaps kissing certain people's ass is a significant part of the 'qualification' process, and the Canadians have simply refused to do it...
The criteria are that you need to have players sign up for the tournament. None of the top Canadian men had signed up. That seems very odd, as Canada did so well at the ATP Cup (which this is replacing) this year.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:02 pm
Interesting that Canada is not participating. I'm glad, as I view this as just another gimmick designed to bring in money.
What on Earth are the criteria for qualifying? I mean, Canada's players are certainly stronger than the players of some of the countries who have 'qualified'.
Perhaps kissing certain people's ass is a significant part of the 'qualification' process, and the Canadians have simply refused to do it...
The criteria are that you need to have players sign up for the tournament. None of the top Canadian men had signed up. That seems very odd, as Canada did so well at the ATP Cup (which this is replacing) this year.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
No, thanks.
It's just another B.S. gimmick.
The problem with 'bringing in money' is that when that is by far the primary purpose of doing something, it's ridiculously selfish. It brings money in for the administrators of tennis and the players, all of whom have far more than enough money already. It simply adds to the problem of the rich getting richer (which, of course, is directly related to the poor getting poorer).
I maintain that when money is the primary motivating factor for anything, there is a serious problem.
The powers that be have been screwing with the format and rules of Davis Cup for a while - trying to ruin it completely... and it seems, based on this ^ footage that they've now instituted a rule that players are not permitted to come within 30 feet of the net.
Both players had numerous opportunities to go to the net in that point...
Sigh...
by ti-amie 23 November 2022
DAY TWO RESULTS
Croatia defeated Spain 2-0
Quarter-final – Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, Malaga, Spain
Borna Coric (CRO) d. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-4 7-6(4)
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 5-7 6-3 7-6(5)
Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic (CRO) v Pablo Carreno Busta/Marcel Granollers (ESP) – not played
DAY THREE SCHEDULE
Quarter-finals – Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, Malaga, Spain
1000 CET/0900 GMT – Italy v USA
Not before 1600 CET/1500 GMT – Germany v Canada
The players representing each team will be announced one hour prior to the scheduled start of each tie.
by ashkor87 QF are US vs Italy and Germany vs Canada..Croatia and Australia are through yesterday..
At least Cilic seems to care enough to play...no other major champion did..
by ashkor87 Hard to see Germany beating Canada but we saw a strange dynamic at the BJK..those who had underperformed at the YEC seemed depressed and unmotivated..maybe US will win after all..
Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:02 pm
Interesting that Canada is not participating. I'm glad, as I view this as just another gimmick designed to bring in money.
What on Earth are the criteria for qualifying? I mean, Canada's players are certainly stronger than the players of some of the countries who have 'qualified'.
Perhaps kissing certain people's ass is a significant part of the 'qualification' process, and the Canadians have simply refused to do it...
The criteria are that you need to have players sign up for the tournament. None of the top Canadian men had signed up. That seems very odd, as Canada did so well at the ATP Cup (which this is replacing) this year.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
Huh? Canada is in the Qfs, playing Germany next
by ashkor87 US is struggling...Tiafoe beaten by Sonego, Fritz leveled by beating Musetti...US playing Sock and Paul in doubles, now crucial ...hope they are regretting dropping Ram! Can't imagine what the calculation must have been..?
by ashkor87 Italy up a set in doubs now..
by ashkor87 Note to US: next time, get a captain who respects doubles..Fish evidently thinks anyone can play doubles .
by ashkor87 And it is over for the US- beaten by Italy in the crucial, deciding doubles
Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:02 pm
Interesting that Canada is not participating. I'm glad, as I view this as just another gimmick designed to bring in money.
What on Earth are the criteria for qualifying? I mean, Canada's players are certainly stronger than the players of some of the countries who have 'qualified'.
Perhaps kissing certain people's ass is a significant part of the 'qualification' process, and the Canadians have simply refused to do it...
The criteria are that you need to have players sign up for the tournament. None of the top Canadian men had signed up. That seems very odd, as Canada did so well at the ATP Cup (which this is replacing) this year.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
Huh? Canada is in the Qfs, playing Germany next
^ We were referring to the 'United Cup', not Davis Cup.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:27 pm
Note to US: next time, get a captain who respects doubles..Fish evidently thinks anyone can play doubles .
Remember when he didn't pick Rajeev Ram for the US team? Several of us commented about him not picking real doubles specialist(s) for the team.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by Deuce Canada is getting their rear end handed to them by Germany...
Shapovalov lost to Struff in a match Denis would have won if he possessed more maturity. He lost the 1st set, but won the 2nd, and had the clear momentum. But a few shaky points caused him to completely unravel for long enough for Struff to break him and grab the momentum. Denis got it to a tiebreak, then lost it.
Right now, they're playing the deciding doubles, and Germany has just won the 1st set easily 6-2 over Shapovalov and Pospisil. Vasek is a solid doubles player, but, even though Denis is a decent doubles player, I question the choice of Denis for the doubles in a must win match. He simply doesn't possess the maturity to stay calm and focused, as one must in a big match. And this affects Pospisil, as Vasek feels that he must do everything to carry the team himself.
It's not a good dynamic.
Should have pulled my buddy Shamasdin, whom I've hit with a couple of times, off the bench to partner Vasek.
by Deuce Well, Shapovalov and Pospisil somehow shook off that terrible 1st set and won it in 3.
They didn't need Adil after all - just the threat of him coming in scared them into playing much better.
by ashkor87
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:27 pm
Note to US: next time, get a captain who respects doubles..Fish evidently thinks anyone can play doubles .
Fish now joins a long list of captains who have lost matches on their own, without touching a racket..Rinaldi is already on it, so is Guy Forget...
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:27 pm
Note to US: next time, get a captain who respects doubles..Fish evidently thinks anyone can play doubles .
Remember when he didn't pick Rajeev Ram for the US team? Several of us commented about him not picking real doubles specialist(s) for the team.
The weird thing is, Fish didn't just "not pick" Ram. He left him off the team. He didn't fill the fifth spot on the roster. Could have taken Krajicek, too. I wouldn't have jumped to any conclusions, but Ram made it clear that he was surprised and disappointed be be left off the roster. What a bizarre call by Fish.
by ti-amie Wait he never filled the fifth spot? No one told him?
by ashkor87 Australia proved yet again that motivation matters more than ability in Davis Cup,! Beat Croatia ...!!
by ashkor87
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:20 am
Wait he never filled the fifth spot? No one told him?
Sounds weird..almost like a personal vendetta...
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:22 am
Australia proved yet again that motivation matters more than ability in Davis Cup,! Beat Croatia ...!!
So, Croatia was not motivated?
These were two very evenly matched teams. One of them had to win, that was all.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
No, thanks.
It's just another B.S. gimmick.
The problem with 'bringing in money' is that when that is by far the primary purpose of doing something, it's ridiculously selfish. It brings money in for the administrators of tennis and the players, all of whom have far more than enough money already. It simply adds to the problem of the rich getting richer (which, of course, is directly related to the poor getting poorer).
I maintain that when money is the primary motivating factor for anything, there is a serious problem.
How is this different than any other tournament? Wimbledon, and the US Open (and presumably the other majors) are cash cows for the national tennis associations, bringing in millions of dollars for them to run their programs. And the winners are getting $3,000,000. Canadian Open, and smaller events too, are the same, just on a smaller scale.
Maybe I've missed some details, but how is the United Cup more mercenary than the Sydney Open and Brisbane Open that it's replacing? The opportunity for joint male-female teams is a unique selling point.
by mick1303 I was imagining the tournament like United Cup probably 30 years ago, when I started watching tennis. Was sure that it will remain only a dream. And now I'm very much interested in how it will unfold. Of course, the price is steep - they basically had to sacrifice Davis Cup. Or maybe it is just an unfortunate coincidence... But Davis Cup with best of 3 format and in the neutral venue is a pale shadow of what it was. Nonetheless - this new United Cup IMO will be an interesting experiment. Will it become an annual event - we shall see. But I consider this a positive thing.
by ti-amie
by ashkor87 Meanwhile, Tennis.com informs us that Musetti beat shapovalov..poor Sonego, can't even get credit...I suppose all Italians are the same to some journalists...
by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 6:33 am
Meanwhile, Tennis.com informs us that Musetti beat shapovalov..poor Sonego, can't even get credit...I suppose all Italians are the same to some journalists...
It's a mistake, but when I have freelanced for Tennis.com producing the website, I have published several mistakes. And I think I'm pretty good! One's attention is divided into about 100 different shards. It's sloppy, but having been there, I understand how it happens. It's shockingly easy to make what looks like a really stupid mistake. Probably the pressure of getting stuff up fast and not having two sets of eyes on things.
Having edited for 25 years, I know it's possible to stare at an error for an hour and not see it, no matter how good you are. Confirmation bias, tired brains, etc.
I don't think I have ever used the wrong player's name, but I bet I will eventually. It can be updated. Not the end of the world.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Congrats to our Canadian members.
If only you had some proper spirits to celebrate!
(Joking. Go get a whole lot of beers )
by Deuce Nice to see Felix evolving. Even Denis might have even finally matured a small bit this week.
Good for them - it's a nice accomplishment, but not a huge accomplishment. I'd have been far more impressed if they'd have won the Davis Cup back when it was played in its proper format.
What is the problem with "bringing in money"? Do you think the players should still be amateurs, playing for the love of the game? And this tournament is a great replacement for the totally unnecessary ATP Cup, which essentially duplicated the Davis Cup finals two months later, and the former Hopman Cup. An opportunity for men and women to play together as teams should be celebrated, not scorned.
No, thanks.
It's just another B.S. gimmick.
The problem with 'bringing in money' is that when that is by far the primary purpose of doing something, it's ridiculously selfish. It brings money in for the administrators of tennis and the players, all of whom have far more than enough money already. It simply adds to the problem of the rich getting richer (which, of course, is directly related to the poor getting poorer).
I maintain that when money is the primary motivating factor for anything, there is a serious problem.
How is this different than any other tournament? Wimbledon, and the US Open (and presumably the other majors) are cash cows for the national tennis associations, bringing in millions of dollars for them to run their programs. And the winners are getting $3,000,000. Canadian Open, and smaller events too, are the same, just on a smaller scale.
Maybe I've missed some details, but how is the United Cup more mercenary than the Sydney Open and Brisbane Open that it's replacing? The opportunity for joint male-female teams is a unique selling point.
The moment someone compares the new gimmicky 'United Cup', which has zero history behind it, and which has come about in an age when such gimmicks are a dime a dozen and are created for the SOLE purpose of further enriching the rich... the moment someone compares that to the Majors and claims similarities is the moment the discussion is over on my end.
Simply put, such a comparison is absurd.
Might as well also compare the newest flashy Babolat frame boasting the 'latest, greatest technology', promising "more power and control" with a Dunlop Maxply Fort, Wilson Kramer, etc.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 6:33 am
Meanwhile, Tennis.com informs us that Musetti beat shapovalov..poor Sonego, can't even get credit...I suppose all Italians are the same to some journalists...
It's a mistake, but when I have freelanced for Tennis.com producing the website, I have published several mistakes. And I think I'm pretty good! One's attention is divided into about 100 different shards. It's sloppy, but having been there, I understand how it happens. It's shockingly easy to make what looks like a really stupid mistake. Probably the pressure of getting stuff up fast and not having two sets of eyes on things.
Having edited for 25 years, I know it's possible to stare at an error for an hour and not see it, no matter how good you are. Confirmation bias, tired brains, etc.
I don't think I have ever used the wrong player's name, but I bet I will eventually. It can be updated. Not the end of the world.
Yes, what you say is right .I was just feeling sorry for sonego
He has performed miracles and doesn't even get his name in the headlines!
I think that anything done in tennis after Russia was suspended will always have an asterisk. As Mick and others have shown us Wimbledon this year affected stats in very unusual ways.
That said it's not unusual for a country to send its "B" team, scrape through and then have its "A" team wipe the floor with opponents when it matters. This situation with Canada could've been avoided if tennis was a more unified body with a Commissioner and had adopted a policy that affected the entire sport, ITF events included. Since that is not the situation people will be arguing about this until the cows come home.
by Deuce But in this case, Canada was eliminated, and only got back in because Russia was removed.
This is like a 'Lucky Loser' winning a tournament (has that ever happened?) - but this is Davis Cup. Things like this aren't supposed to happen in Davis Cup.
Or, at least things like this weren't supposed to happen before the powers that be decided to make every effort possible to destroy Davis Cup...
by ashkor87 Fish seems on his way out as US captain. Good..you can't let a player veto a #1 player, which is what seems to have happened ...I gather Jack Sock didn't want Ram on the team..but it is the captain's call, he should be held responsible.
by ti-amie
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:33 am
Fish seems on his way out as US captain. Good..you can't let a player veto a #1 player, which is what seems to have happened ...I gather Jack Sock didn't want Ram on the team..but it is the captain's call, he should be held responsible.
Have you seen any reason as to why Sock wouldn't want Ram, top player in doubles, on the team?
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:33 am
Fish seems on his way out as US captain. Good..you can't let a player veto a #1 player, which is what seems to have happened ...I gather Jack Sock didn't want Ram on the team..but it is the captain's call, he should be held responsible.
Have you seen any reason as to why Sock wouldn't want Ram, top player in doubles, on the team?
Good..right thing to do. Fish does not deserve to be Captain ..
by ashkor87 Sock dropped too! Rajeev Ram is in. Well, well..now we know what that drama was about..
by Deuce If I were deciding on the next U.S. Davis Cup captain, I'd tell Michael Russell that the job is his if he wants it. He's been coaching Taylor Fritz in recent years.
No-one tried harder than Russell on the court. Though he didn't have as much talent (or size) as others, he made the most of the talent he had. He was a little bulldog - usually ranked somewhere between 50 and 100, but one always noticed him because he ran every ball down and left his heart on the court every time.
He was always very down to Earth as a player, too - one of the very few players who always made sure to be nice to and to thank the ball kids (I commended him for this, and he replied "Too many players treat the ball kids like crap - I won't mention any names - like Andy Roddick - but I just want to let them know they're appreciated").
I think he'd be a very good Davis Cup Captain - if he wants the job.
by Oploskoffie This year, for the first time since 2013, top level tennis returned to my (nearly) home town of Groningen in the form of the Davis Cup qualifier versus Slovakia. Why they don't play all Dutch Davis Cup matches here is a mystery to me; it's one of THE student towns in the Netherlands and a local group of them even travel to (almost?) all their matches, both at home and away. With it being IN Groningen, the place (Martiniplaza, seats 3.500) was almost sold out and the atmosphere was fantastic today, especially during the Tim van Rijthoven vs. Molcan match.
For those of you who can't exactly remember where they know Van Rijthoven from: he won the Rosmalen grasscourt tournament last year, beating Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime and Fritz in the process. Since then, that success had seen no follow-up and after they had to bench Van de Zanschulp (still recovering from injury) captain Haarhuis selected Tim. That choice (easily) delivered the most entertaining of the two matches of today and in typical DC circumstances, the crowd carried van Rijthoven to victory. Flanked by two enthousiastic, talkative grannies (not mine) I struggled to remember a match with a better atmosphere. The third set was like the final of a major tournament. Gotta love DC home crowds
by ponchi101 Good to hear that DC can still deliver a great atmosphere. And that you enjoyed it.
by Deuce Enthusiastic - and sometimes even over-the-top - Davis Cup home crowds were a unique trademark of Davis Cup.
Sadly, that doesn't happen as much anymore, because the powers that be are desperately trying to kill Davis Cup (and replace it with newfangled gimmicks).
by ashkor87 The upcoming BJK has Poland and Kazakhstan on clay! Swiatek vs Rybakina, indoor clay.
I saw a sarcastic comment by Keothevong about Raducanu - that isnt how a captain needs to behave.. it should not be an ego issue for her - she doesnt seem to have bothered to call up Emma Raducanu and ask her to play.. that is your job, not to put out clever tweets!
by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:11 am
The upcoming BJK has Poland and Kazakhstan on clay! Swiatek vs Rybakina, indoor clay.
I saw a sarcastic comment by Keothevong about Raducanu - that isnt how a captain needs to behave.. it should not be an ego issue for her - she doesnt seem to have bothered to call up Emma Raducanu and ask her to play.. that is your job, not to put out clever tweets!
Here's a more detailed explanation of the situation, which includes needed context:
(I found various sources of this story, but this was the only one without any flagrant spelling errors...)
by mmmm8 Ashkor is right, this is on Keothavong to handle privately with Raducanu and her team.
by ashkor87 I see Swiatek is not playing for Poland...Linette is leading ...too bad..
by Deuce In current Fed Cup play, Canada is the decided favourite over a Belgian team who have not got their best players...
Leylah beat Wickmayer decidedly in the opening match... and Rebecca Marino, who is playing in her home town of Vancouver, continued the positive momentum that Leylah laid down, getting off to a quick 3-0 lead over Bonaventure in the second match. But Bonaventure came back before Marino closed out the set 6-4.
Bonaventure continued the momentum she had begun in the 1st set to take the 2nd set 6-4, and she took the deciding set by the same score.
Back at it today with, of course, the reverse singles.
Czech Republic vs. Ukraine is an interesting one - it is being played in Turkey, as they offered hosting facilities to Ukraine, who obviously cannot play at home.
Yesterday, Vondrousova beat Kostyuk very easily, and Krejcikova beat Zavatska, also in straight sets.
Today, however, Kostyuk surprised Krejcikova with a win in 3 sets.
by JTContinental Coco and Caty reunion is in session, after Pegula secured the win for Team USA
by Deuce Leylah is currently in a battle with Ysaline Bonaventure...
This match began in a similar way as Leylah's match vs. Wickmayer yesterday - but in reverse... Bonaventure sped off to a 4-0 lead. Then Leylah finally held serve - but it took her about 15 minutes to do so. She gathered herself after that, but still lost the set 4-6. Then she held tough to win the 2nd set 7-5.
Leylah has an early break in the 3rd - 2-0.
It has not been a high quality match from either player - but it's close, at least.
We don't know yet who'll be playing in the second singles - maybe Wickmayer, maybe Minnen for Belgium... and maybe Marino, maybe even Sebov for Canada. All we know is that it will be an important match - either to win it or to tie it and allow the doubles to decide things.
The Czech Republic beat Ukraine, with Kostyuk's win over Krejcikova being the only Ukrainian win...
France beat Britain 3-1...
Italy beat Slovakia 3-2...
Spain beat Mexico 3-1...
Germany beat Brazil 3-1...
Kazakhstan beat Poland 3-1...
USA beat Austria 4-0...
and Slovenia and Romania are tied 2-2.
by JazzNU I noticed a Karatantcheva playing for Hungary. I think it's Sesil's little sister, but there's not a lot of information on her because her ranking is so low. But her first name is Lia and Sesil's old bio on the WTA says she has a sister named Elia, so thinking this is her.
by Deuce Leylah came back to win the 3rd set convincingly, if not easily, 6-2.
So Canada is up 2-1 now.
Interestingly, Katherine Sebov is playing the last singles for Canada. This is her first appearance in Fed Cup. She's playing Greet Minnen, who is, I believe, in only her second Fed Cup appearance.
I imagine Sebov will be nervous - first Fed Cup play, and in front of the home crowd (and she just got broken in the first game of the match).
I've got to wonder how this is affecting Rebecca Marino, who is Canada's #2 player here (Andreescu is injured), and who is in her home town of Vancouver. But Marino really faded last night after winning the 1st set - so, from that perspective, it's an understandable decision to go with Sebov.
I think Canada is also fairly confident in the doubles - though I, personally, don't see that they are a significant favourite there - and that, too, would factor into the decision to go with Sebov in this match.
by Deuce Sebov did well... came back from a 1st set loss to win the 2nd, and went a break ahead in the 3rd before giving the break back and then being broken late by the more experienced Minnen.
Still, an encouraging Fed Cup baptism for Sebov.
Onto the doubles, which starts in a few minutes, tied at 2-2. Minnen and Flipkens vs. Dabrowski and Leylah. I'd say it's pretty close to a toss-up...
Dabrowski is a strong doubles player, and Leylah has had some recent doubles success with Taylor Townsend - but Gaby and Leylah have not played together as a team very often (only in Fed Cup, basically).
Both Flipkens and Minnen are solid doubles players, and Flipkens will have the added motivation of this very likely being her final Fed Cup (I remember her from Juniors, and, amazingly to me, she's now 37 years old and on the verge of retiring from tennis). It wouldn't be surprising to see her become the Fed Cup captain for Belgium shortly after she retires.
I'd give a slight edge to Canada in this match, though mostly because of the home country advantage.
by Deuce Well, in the end, it wasn't close - Canada easily won the doubles, 1 and 2.
Leylah's doubles instincts have improved significantly (if one can actually improve instincts).
Bravo.
Onto the finals now...
by meganfernandez Is Hopman Cup on TV? Can't find it on Tennis Channel. This is all I found:
Flow - Caribbean Islands
Supersport - Sub-Saharan Africa
SRG - Switzerland, Leichenstein
TV2 - Denmark (maybe US, too?)
TVE - Spain
Claro - Central and South America
L'Equipe - France and French Overseas Territiories
by ti-amie
by nelslus
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 6:34 pm
Is Hopman Cup on TV? Can't find it on Tennis Channel. This is all I found:
Flow - Caribbean Islands
Supersport - Sub-Saharan Africa
SRG - Switzerland, Leichenstein
TV2 - Denmark (maybe US, too?)
TVE - Spain
Claro - Central and South America
L'Equipe - France and French Overseas Territiories
Of course, Tennis Channel Plus is showing Hopman Cup matches. And, I can confirm that Tennis Channel at least showed the match point where Rune lost today. So, maybe regular Tennis Channel will show some Hopman Cup, at least in bits and pieces, in the middle of all the other tournaments going on?
Galarneau and Diallo each get their first-ever Davis Cup match-wins.
Alexis Galarneau (#200) bt. Lorenzo Sonego (#38) 7-6(8), 6-4
Gabriel Diallo (#158) bt. Lorenzo Musetti (#18) 7-5, 6-4
by ponchi101 Nobody is sounding the alarm because they have not made much on tour.
But, especially Musetti, both Lorenzo's are not playing well at all.
Galarneau and Diallo each get their first-ever Davis Cup match-wins.
Alexis Galarneau (#200) bt. Lorenzo Sonego (#38) 7-6(8), 6-4
Gabriel Diallo (#158) bt. Lorenzo Musetti (#18) 7-5, 6-4
That shouldn't have happened.
by nelslus With Krajicek, Rajeev has won two very tough doubles match, days after winning the freakin' US Open.
So....singles players on the US Open Davis Cup team. Next time you want to put in an opinion on who should play doubles, like last year? STFU.
by Oploskoffie Speaking of the US team and things that perhaps should not have happened...
by meganfernandez Murray chocked up in the on-court interview after his win, saying his grandmother's funeral is today and he couldn't be there. It came up because the interviewer said a 90-year-old fan is attending her first Murray match.
by ti-amie
by mick1303 I was sure that Djokovic attends Davis Cup only as a spectator and support for his team. But he went on and played and official match in less than a week after Slam final. And won. Who does he think he is? )) G.O.A.T.? )))
by ponchi101 He has always been supportive of DC. And I seriously doubt that after the Djere match at the USO, his matches were draining. It was 3 sets for Shelton, 3 for Medvedev. He must have plenty of gas in his tank
Good more... Rinaldi was a poor captain, made some bad choices .. I would never pick Sloane to play BJK, for instance, but Rinaldi did. I imagine Davenport will do better, but who knows.. captains can lose the entire tie all by themselves..
by patrick Did USA win a title under Rinaldi? Think she did and Stephens was part of that team despite losing her matches in the final
by ashkor87
patrick wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 10:12 pm
Did USA win a title under Rinaldi? Think she did and Stephens was part of that team despite losing her matches in the final
Yes but any captain with a modicum of sense would not have fielded that team...given the depth the US can muster, I cannot see what they should not have won every FedCup! The #1 role of the captain is to get the best players to play and. #2 is to field the best team. Rinaldi failed on both counts ..
by patrick Not disputing your argument on her choices but somehow she got a title
by ashkor87
patrick wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:19 pm
Not disputing your argument on her choices but somehow she got a title
One. Should have been more..! Even today, only the Czechs can come up with a team to match the US...
by ti-amie Diego Barbiani
@Diego_Barbiani
Swiatek states that the decision to not play at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals is, in fact, due to (once again) the schedule made by WTA & ITF and says it's impossible to attend the event with no time between WTA Finals and BJKC Finals. Hope to see proper changes in the future.
Dominik Senkowski
@dsenkowski07
·
5h
Iga Światek nie zagra w turnieju reprezentacyjnym Billie Jean King Cup w Sewilli. Takie oświadczenie otrzymałem od Teamu Igi Świątek:
by ashkor87 same with Pegula and Coco.. apparently the BJK is only for people who dont qualify for the YEC! I wonder how much of it is because of bad blood between the ITF and the WTA (at least there was, in the past..)
by ashkor87 I hope the US pairs Townsend with Keys for doubles. They would make a good pair . Let us see what clever combination Rinaldi can come up with this time to get the US a defeat...they are in the same group as czechia but presumably the big Czech stars will not play ...only Kvitova....
by ashkor87 As expected the Czechs were too much for the Americans . Clearly they have more commitment to the BJK..Vondrousova showed up despite having played Cancun..so did Krejcikova and Siniakova
by ashkor87 This time the US defeat is only partly Rinaldi's fault .probably could not have persuaded Coco and Pegula to play..though that is her job. #1 is to get the best players to play, #2 is to field the best team on the given day. Giving media interviews comes a distant #3..I guess nobody cares much about BJK
by patrick After Martina, Chrissie, McEnroe days and to an extent Roddick, USA does not commit well to team events,
by dave g Having the BJK cup after the YEC is part of the problem. The Americans in the YEC were not the only YEC participants unwilling to play in the BJK. I blame the guy who is the head of the WTA.
by ashkor87 Awesome performance by Leylah!! Dabrowski is a great doubles player too..which made the difference..I never thought the Czechs could be beaten
by ashkor87
dave g wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 5:33 pm
Having the BJK cup after the YEC is part of the problem. The Americans in the YEC were not the only YEC participants unwilling to play in the BJK. I blame the guy who is the head of the WTA.
True, but Voundrousova, Krejcikova, Siniakova did make the trip..even Keys would have made a difference..
by ashkor87
patrick wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 11:31 am
After Martina, Chrissie, McEnroe days and to an extent Roddick, USA does not commit well to team events,
Interesting to speculate why that is so..my own theory is- the US has been dominant at tennis for so long that the fans don't think winning these country tournaments matters much..my father also had this theory : the US bench is so deep the top players don't feel responsible..anyone behind me will also do...
Neither assumption is true these days but the mindset takes years to change..?
by ponchi101 When Pete won the 1995 DC almost single handedly, in a truly heroic performance AGAINST RUSSIA, and that was relegated to page 32 of Sports Illustrated (at the time truly the last page), he said it all: "If people in the USA do not care about the Davis Cup, why should I?"
Starting with Connors, playing team events in tennis in the USA stopped having any meaning.
Which has nothing to do with the BJK/FED cup as the US women remain a powerhouse in tennis. So why can't players commit to this event is indeed odd.
by ashkor87 Stakusic! Who is she?! Never heard of her..beat Trevisan in the BJK finals ..Canada sure to win now...
by ti-amie
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 4:43 am
This time the US defeat is only partly Rinaldi's fault .probably could not have persuaded Coco and Pegula to play..though that is her job. #1 is to get the best players to play, #2 is to field the best team on the given day. Giving media interviews comes a distant #3..I guess nobody cares much about BJK
by ti-amie
by ptmcmahon I can honestly say I don’t know who Stakusic is either
by skatingfan I've seen the name in draws, but didn't know what she looked like until this week. She's making her breakthrough late this year.
by ashkor87
skatingfan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 2:41 am
I've seen the name in draws, but didn't know what she looked like until this week. She's making her breakthrough late this year.
Captain is very brave,!
by ashkor87 Rankings never matter in country cups! Both winners today were ranked lower than the players they beat (one by about 200 ranks!)
by ashkor87 Stakusic merely applied steady pressure, Trevisan made errors after error under pressure - which is what it takes to win in the BJK cup.. Leylah played really well - that was a high quakity match too.. what I culd make out from Youtube highlights.. court was the usual regulation slow to medium court, Leylah came ward a lot, which is one way to win on a slow court..a real masterclass in tennis strategy. I hope the slow courts around the world will encourage players to emulate Leylah..! paradoxical but true.. volleyers can do well on a slow court, provided they approach on the right shot and dont mind getting passed and looking foolish a few times!
by martini4me I'd never heard of her either, until she was the guest on a Canadian tennis podcast about a month ago.
She was unable to play for about seven months early this year due to a patellar tendon injury. She was named ITF player of the month after winning two tournaments in September, then went on to win another Challenger tournament in Toronto a couple of weeks ago. She turns 19 at the end of the month. That's about all I know.
If you didn't see any of her matches this week (I watched them all), she's extremely even-keeled. No outward shows of emotion, either positive or negative (the announcers were quite surprised when she displayed a bit of frustration while Trevisan was getting the better of her in the middle part of the match today). The backhand is her biggest weapon, although about halfway through the match against Frech, she started hitting drop shots, some of them quite extraordinary.
by ponchi101 There has go to be an explanation as to why Canadian players are so predominantly the children of immigrants.
Why is tennis so appealing to this cohort?
Congrats, canadian members. be proud.
by ashkor87 Hypothesis: tennis is still an upper middle-class sport...Canada has more educated immigrants than most other countries do..
No evidence or data to support the hypothesis! Just a possibility.
by ti-amie Hockey is king in Canada no? I don't think very many sports can hold a candle to it. I know there are baseball and basketball pro level teams but my impression is that it's hockey that rules.
I could be wrong though.
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:23 pm
There has go to be an explanation as to why Canadian players are so predominantly the children of immigrants.
Why is tennis so appealing to this cohort?
Congrats, canadian members. be proud.
Almost a quarter of Canadians are foreign born so there's a lot of children of immigrants from which to recruit, but also tennis is not a sport that was seen as a serious pursuit for Canadians so some of the interest, and in particular the coaching, are coming from recent immigrants.
by martini4me Makes sense. Nestor, Pospisil, Raonic and Andreescu all had parents who were born in European countries (Yugoslavia, Czechia, Yugoslavia and Romania) where tennis is a much higher profile sport. And not having parents who played hockey (or football or baseball) as youngsters means it's less likely that they'll automatically be signed up for those same sports.
Unless I'm missing someone, Bouchard is the only top player of the last 15 years whose family goes back more than a generation in Canada.
I assume it would be a similar story for Canadian soccer. But as Canadian success has risen in those two sports (well, women's soccer only), surely the higher profile will draw more interest among third/fourth-generation Canadians too.
by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote:Stakusic! Who is she?! Never heard of her..beat Trevisan in the BJK finals ..Canada sure to win now...
What a great moment for her. Might end up being the best moment of her career.
ashkor87 wrote:Stakusic! Who is she?! Never heard of her..beat Trevisan in the BJK finals ..Canada sure to win now...
What a great moment for her. Might end up being the best moment of her career.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hope not! She is young, may have many great moments ahead
by ptmcmahon
martini4me wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 5:06 am
Makes sense. Nestor, Pospisil, Raonic and Andreescu all had parents who were born in European countries (Yugoslavia, Czechia, Yugoslavia and Romania) where tennis is a much higher profile sport. And not having parents who played hockey (or football or baseball) as youngsters means it's less likely that they'll automatically be signed up for those same sports.
Unless I'm missing someone, Bouchard is the only top player of the last 15 years whose family goes back more than a generation in Canada.
Add in Auger-Aliassime (father from Togo), Shapovalov (born in Israel + Soviet parents.) Was checking on Marino, her father is of Italian descent but couldn't find out how recently
by ti-amie
FAA Iga'd the dress code.
by ti-amie
The Brits look like they stumbled in from a local pub...
Late add to the team maybe - no time for a fitting.
Iga'd is a great new word!!! Layers of meaning!
by ashkor87 Now the Davis Cup has been thoroughly destroyed, by the usual mix of greed and incompetence and complete lack of feeling for why the DC was so special .RIP Davis Cup!
by mick1303 It looks like we're moving towards another Djokovic-Sinner match-up) Davis Cup is good for something after all )
by ashkor87 Australia vs Finland, Italy vs Serbia...on paper, Italy should win, given that they have a good doubles team..but this is DC and track record means nothing ...so Finland could win too!
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
You have to click on the picture to see the reports.
by ashkor87 Watching Sinner Djokovic in DC...high quality match on a fast court
by Fastbackss Sinner staving off three consecutive match points and then winning on his first is rather impressive
by ashkor87 Djokovic's nervy play is even more surprising...seems to be feeling the pressure, at last!
by ashkor87 at 5-5 in the third, Djoko again came to the net behind a poor approach and got passed .seems to be losing his nerve, getting desperate...I remember McEnroe saying of Borg - when he comes to the net, I know he is finished...(in 1980 I think, after he beat Borg in the USO finals)
by ashkor87 On a fast court, DeMinaur is formidable.. if Italy ends up resting Sinner, Australia will win.. the Aussie doubles team is certainly better than Italy's.. Purcell and Ebden are real doubles specialists.. the tie will being with one point more or less firmly in Aussie hands.
by mick1303
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 26, 2023 5:27 am
On a fast court, DeMinaur is formidable.. if Italy ends up resting Sinner, Australia will win.. the Aussie doubles team is certainly better than Italy's.. Purcell and Ebden are real doubles specialists.. the tie will being with one point more or less firmly in Aussie hands.
It's a final tie - there is no point in resting anybody. Italy's chance is to win both singles. And it is a good chance, I think..
by ashkor87 Arnaldi? When Sonego and Musetti are available? Doesn't look good for Italy's chances...
by mick1303 I forgot about Popyrin. Thought Aussies would put Jordan Thompson as #2. Now their chances are not bad at all.
by ashkor87
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 26, 2023 4:56 pm
I forgot about Popyrin. Thought Aussies would put Jordan Thompson as #2. Now their chances are not bad at all.
That was close, in the end...
by ashkor87 Wonder if winning this DC will do for Sinner what it did for Djokovic ...after leading Serbia to the Davis Cup in 2010, Djokovic seemed to become a different level player..almost unbeatable 2011 onwards .
Of course, this was a fast indoor court, which suits Sinner, and not going to happen too often ..
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by meganfernandez I'm covering BJK Cup in Orlando this week for Tennis.com. I have some stories lined up, but I'm open to ideas from this intelligent tennis community. Unfortunately, Belgium isn't bringing its A team, so the coverage will focus on Americans. I'll interview Lindsay about her first tie as captain - any thoughts from you guys? Any curiosities? I'm also interested in exploring the leadership of American women's tennis with so many veterans doing well these days and leading the team. Navarro is the only newbie on the team, although I don't know who's part of the practice squad.
I'll be curious to see how much Pegula plays after long Charleston matches. But she has done well in team competition in the past, so maybe this is what she needs.
by JTContinental Does Belgium have an A team?
Looking forward to Lindsay’s debut and to your reporting!
by meganfernandez
JTContinental wrote: ↑Mon Apr 08, 2024 8:10 pm
Does Belgium have an A team?
Looking forward to Lindsay’s debut and to your reporting!
Mertens and Wickmayer. And Greet Minnen is up to #70! Given Elise's strength in doubles, she would be a weapon. I'm surprised she isn't playing. She was already in the US for Charleston. Sofia Costoulas #279 is the highest-ranked player. Wim Fisette will have to work some magic. But surprises happen when you play for your country.
by ashkor87 Nice to see @meganfernandez
I would be curious about:
Why keys is not playing doubles with TT since they played together at Charleston, why Pegula is,
What special care does Lindsey have to take because it is known she is Madison's mentor
Does she plan to bring in players like Coco and Collins in later rounds or is it even possible to plan ahead.
Of course, I am sure you will explore this- how she feel taking over a team that, frankly,should have won a lot more Cups than it has..
But great to see you covering it, look forward to reading your reports..
by ashkor87 Of course, the really big question is- how easy is it for her to get players to agree to play, especially against weak opposition like Belgium sans Mertens and Wickemayer..
Is she looking at Olympics now or focused on BJk,?
What is the main role of a captain, given that every player already is a seasoned pro and has her own coach?
by Fastbackss I think ashkor hit most of the ones I would ask.
To me, the looming Olympics is the big one - whether it will help mold the lineups - or did players sign up with that in mind? Do they discuss it at all (I would think some players want the practice)
Is her idea to get the young players some "reps" for international play against the inexperienced Belgian squad?
Since I don't know - when did the line-up have to be decided? If recent - did she reach out to Danielle and/or Coco?
Is it hard to get players coming off the sunshine double?
by meganfernandez Thanks for all your inout and questions! The lineup was announced in March 15, so Lindsay had to recruit before the sunshine double was finished.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by meganfernandez I've had misgivings about asking if Coco was invited, because the team is so strong without her anyway (and is the heavy favorite), but it's a fair question that I'm sure all the fans want to know, right? Feels a little provocative but I think people deserve to know why the country's top-ranked player isn't representing the team.
by ashkor87 the interesting matchup is Brazil vs Germany.. Brazil looks the stronger team- and Japan vs Kazakstan.. no Rybakina so Japan should win..Osaka is playing.. France - Britain could be interesting.. Garcia vs Boulter, Parry vs Raducanu etc...US-Belgium is a slamdunk, so is Poland vs Switzerland..
Yes, read it..lovely article...the balance between individual career paths and the team goal came out well...@meganfernandez
by ashkor87 I wonder if Coco refusing to play BJK and then Pegula being picked to partner Townsend, are signs that Coco is planning to sit out the Olympics...
by ashkor87 great win for Raducanu over Garcia - she did to Garcia what Garcia does to other people - exceptionally aggressive service returns..
by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 6:20 am
I wonder if Coco refusing to play BJK and then Pegula being picked to partner Townsend, are signs that Coco is planning to sit out the Olympics...
Coco is focusing on Olympic singles and didn't want any other extracurriculars this year. Pegula didn't partner Townsend in BJK. Dolehide did, Keys was slotted to. I thought Dolehie was very good today. I'll be curious to see if Maddie makes the Olympic team. Right now, I'd go with Coco, Pegula, Collins and Navarro as the four singles players over Maddie.
I'm not sure "refused" is the right word. Declined. We don't know the temperature of the conversation. Lindsay said she hopes Coco plays in the future. And she hopes American women care about BJK Cup more in the future.
Navarro had a fantastic win Friday night. Her opponent was tougher than Pegula's. Both of the Belgian girls played well above her high-200 ranking in their first matches. One of them, Hanne Vanderwinkel, juggles tennis and med school! She's basically going to med school part time right now and taking it year by year.
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:59 pm
I've had misgivings about asking if Coco was invited, because the team is so strong without her anyway (and is the heavy favorite), but it's a fair question that I'm sure all the fans want to know, right? Feels a little provocative but I think people deserve to know why the country's top-ranked player isn't representing the team.
Lindsay offered this up, didn't have to ask. I didn't press her on how Coco replied. Her team made it known at the beginning of the year that Coco wouldn't play this year. Not sure about the finals in November.
by JTContinental Im sure it’s nothing nefarious.
by ashkor87 thanks for the detailed explanation @meganfernandez
I wouldnt pick Keys in singles but Townsend deserves a good partner like Keys (or Venus!)
by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 3:05 am
thanks for the detailed explanation @meganfernandez
I wouldn't pick Keys in singles but Townsend deserves a good partner like Keys (or Venus!)
Do you think Keys or Venus is a better partner than Dolehide, Gauff, Pegula, Sloane or Collins? Or Bethanie? I don't. I'd take any of those women over Keys or Venus for dubs. The one thing Keys has going for her is that she and Taylor are super close friends and might know each other's games well.
JTContinental wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 2:27 am
Im sure it’s nothing nefarious.
I doubt nefarious, but possibly Coco doesn't care about BJK Cup at all. Lindsay said the recent/current generations haven't cared enough about BJK Cup and she wants to change that. It's possible that Brad doesn't want anyone coaching Coco except him. The week the players spend in BJK Cup includes some coaching, necessarily. Lindsay said she would collaborate with players' personal coaches - and did before this week's tie - but I could also see Coco and her team being like, nope, stay away. We'll see. i hope Coco grows into a BJK Cup leader. Right now the leaders are Pegula and Townsend.
Also, i don't know what Coco's relationship is like with Pegula. Nothing prickly has been reported, but who knows. Those weeks are about camaraderie and bonding and training together, too. Not just the match.
by ti-amie Cori attended Pegula's wedding.
by ashkor87 I feel Keys should partner TT for two reasons .you have added a third (friends)..
1. TT has great touch and court sense . She is like Lutz was..or McEnroe..the ideal partner for her would be a classic serve and volley player .Keys and Venus fit.
2. Keys is a powerful hitter who is a bit slow in her feet...such people can do well in doubles..see Sock, Bopanna, even Pavlyuchenkova.
The others you have named are just good doubles players- but they dont much complement TT
Shriver complementing Navratilova is another such example that comes to mind
That was in 2021, when they were still playing doubles together. Pegula said in December that she would like to play doubles with Coco at the Olympics, so they are probably on fine terms. Probably Coco just wanted to get to Europe soon and get a lot of matches on clay.
by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 11:55 pm
I feel Keys should partner TT for two reasons .you have added a third (friends)..
1. TT has great touch and court sense . She is like Lutz was..or McEnroe..the ideal partner for her would be a classic serve and volley player .Keys and Venus fit.
2. Keys is a powerful hitter who is a bit slow in her feet...such people can do well in doubles..see Sock, Bopanna, even Pavlyuchenkova.
The others you have named are just good doubles players- but they dont much complement TT
Shriver complementing Navratilova is another such example that comes to mind
Good points. You think Keys is a classic serve and volley player, though? I thought Dolehide played really well Saturday. She might be a better volleyer than Keys.
by ashkor87 Dolehide is a great player but too much like Taylor
by ashkor87 But I still think Venus would be the best .she is a classical serve and volley player and has the maturity and experience to keep her partner calm
Btw she has some 17 major titles plus 3 Olympic golds! Can Davenport ignore the Queen?
Venus is one of the greatest doubles players of this generation !
by ponchi101 Her wiki page says she has won 14 slams, and all of them were with Serena.
Yes, she is very, very good. But she is almost 44. You cannot ignore that.
by ashkor87
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 3:20 am
Her wiki page says she has won 14 slams, and all of them were with Serena.
Yes, she is very, very good. But she is almost 44. You cannot ignore that.
plus 2 mixed doubles, not with Serena (he he)
and doubles skills dont age.. Bopanna is 44 too, and he is #1 in the world.. Martina Navratilova won with Paes when she was 46. Venus has been in training.. I dont think people respect her enough.
by ti-amie
Yi Lin
@Leff_11
even the ticket price is only 4 dollars now I'm afraid there will still be a lot of empty seats...
by mmmm8 To take a meaningful competition like Davis Cup and completely destroy it is a special feat.
by skatingfan Did we ever get the story behind what happened with the company that was originally given the contract to promote Davis Cup?
by ponchi101
skatingfan wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 8:51 pm
Did we ever get the story behind what happened with the company that was originally given the contract to promote Davis Cup?
Kosmos. Owned by Spanish footbal player Gerard Pique, who was married to Shakira. Was involved in a lot of sports' promotions, and it has been a total disaster.
skatingfan wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 8:51 pm
Did we ever get the story behind what happened with the company that was originally given the contract to promote Davis Cup?
Kosmos. Owned by Spanish footbal player Gerard Pique, who was married to Shakira. Was involved in a lot of sports' promotions, and it has been a total disaster.
I guess her lyrics were right, too much gym, not enough brain workouts
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Make them play with T-2000's and Head's Ashe Pro's (those were aluminum).
by skatingfan
by ashkor87 US and Czechia look like the strongest teams in BJK cup. Canada looks strong too. About 75% full strength overall ...? All the teams..?
by ponchi101 Czechia indeed, but their players are streaky. Krejcikova won W and then disappeared. Let's see if she can return to form.
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 4:36 pm
Czechia indeed, but their players are streaky. Krejcikova won W and then disappeared. Let's see if she can return to form.
Krejcikova plays well occasionally, and wins a big title, and then goes back to her regular level. This year, Wimbledon aside, has been below average for her.
by ashkor87 Davis Cup .the only 'big' player is Alcaraz..the others don't seem motivated to play...Sinner, Zverev..this is a failure of captaincy...it is really the job of the captain to get the best players to play...
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 5:38 am
Davis Cup .the only 'big' player is Alcaraz..the others don't seem motivated to play...Sinner, Zverev..this is a failure of captaincy...it is really the job of the captain to get the best players to play...
No. It is the job of the PRODUCERS of this exo to come up with the best players.
Novak was out of the question. That is understood. Sinner's tag may be too high and he talked about a loving aunt who is in bad health; he may not be tempted at the moment to go anywhere regardless of the fee.
Borg and Mac may be legends, but they do not have the authority to tell anybody to come and play. And six of the top 10 players are showing up.
It is the WORLD team that is fielding a weak team (Kokkinakis?)
Let's face it. This idea was bound to run into trouble the moment Roger and Rafa would retire.
(And I will go full arrogant and say I said that on the first year of the event).
by ashkor87 I was talking about DC not the overhyped exho called Laver Cup...I agree about Laver Cup
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 4:25 pm
I was talking about DC not the overhyped exho called Laver Cup...I agree about Laver Cup
Wow. I completely missed that you were talking about DC. Sorry about that.
DC is dead. The format is silly, the home-and-away matches are no longer the recipe for compelling matches.
I say, let it die. It was a great competition and for which players geared up just for pride. Those days are gone.
by skatingfan Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup changing formats for next year
LONDON (AP) — The Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions are both changing their formats next year.
The International Tennis Federation announced the changes Friday, with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals transitioning from 12 teams to an eight-team event to mirror the existing Davis Cup Finals format. The ITF said the change is “part of a long-term strategy to bring the World Cup of Tennis events closer together."
That means that next year’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers will feature seven groups of three teams each, with the group winners joining a host nation in the 2025 Finals.
Meanwhile, the September stage of the Davis Cup will change from having a six-day group-stage competition to featuring seven home-or-away series played over two days.
The seven winning teams will join a host nation in the Finals in November. The Billie Jean King Cup will also feature home-or-away matches in the qualifiers starting in 2026.
“In Billie Jean King Cup, the move to an eight-team Finals aligns with the Davis Cup Final 8 format which has proven to be such a success,” ITF President David Haggerty said.
“Moving the Davis Cup September stage from six-day group stage events to two-day home-or-away ties will ease players’ schedules immediately following the U.S. Open, while maintaining the intensity of the competition that they all love.”
Bidding processes for the hosts of next year’s Finals are underway. This year’s tournaments will both take place in Malaga, Spain.
“Creating the best competition format is a key part of our long-term strategy for the Billie Jean King Cup and follows consultation with players, fans, partners and broadcasters ,” said Ilana Kloss, chair of Billie Jean King Cup Ltd. “An eight-team event over six days will be hugely beneficial to player health and the global fan experience. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
by ponchi101 They just can't get it. You can try changing all the formats you want, but people in Spain are not going to line up to watch a tie between Belarus and Portugal.
Just an example.
These cups may be obsolete by now. Sometimes you have to accept that.
by ashkor87 i really dont like the format - two singles then the doubles.. of course, then the doubles could be the decider, which would give them the importance they deserve..
Poland, Czechia and Italy all look strong - esepcially with the doubles team of Errani and Paolini having emerged as a force.
by ti-amie
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:08 pm
They just can't get it. You can try changing all the formats you want, but people in Spain are not going to line up to watch a tie between Belarus and Portugal.
Just an example.
These cups may be obsolete by now. Sometimes you have to accept that.
There was nothing wrong with the original format...
by ti-amie
by ashkor87https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/bi ... ne-paolini
Everyone seems to think Paoloni will beat everyone! What are they thinking? I still see Czechia as the strongest team here...is Paolini going to beat Swiatek? Doesn't make any sense to me!
by ashkor87 Hmm...I see Muchova is not playing..nor Krejcikova..makes Czechia much weaker..now Poland looks strongest...Swiatek and Linette. Sometimes it is the quality of your #2 player that is decisive..
US is pretty strong too..Collins and Stearns and Dolehide in doubles.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ashkor87 I hear it has also been moved indoors
by ashkor87 Slovakia continues to surprise! Looking unbeatable! GB looking good too, they have a very strong #2 in Raducanu...if I didn't distrust Boulter so much I would call them favorites now to win the BJK Cup...haven't forgiven Boulter for knocking me out of the USO SP...
by ti-amie
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 1:47 am
Slovakia continues to surprise! Looking unbeatable! GB looking good too, they have a very strong #2 in Raducanu...if I didn't distrust Boulter so much I would call them favorites now to win the BJK Cup...haven't forgiven Boulter for knocking me out of the USO SP...
Not you being petty!
by ashkor87 Yes, I was doing pretty well until she lost to someone she should have no trouble with..
I mean, if she can't even beat Bouzas, why would I expect her to beat....anybody? Especially #1 players?
by ashkor87 Tomljanovic took a nasty fall early in the first set, no wonder Sramkova beat her easily.. no mention of it in the reports..
by ashkor87 The defeat of the US in the bjk is the failure of captaincy..why couldn't Davenport get Keys or Kenin or Anisimova to be on the team? Collins is not well, as we all know, it is too risky though she is a good player when healthy...
by ti-amie Errani's much talked about underhand serve on match point.
by Fastbackss Opponent did that to my partner in our doubles match last night - and I had feelings about it.
I can't imagine the gravity of when this was done
by ponchi101 How much difference can there be between Errani's regular "serve" and her under armed one?
by ashkor87 At least the underarm serve has the element of surprise!!
by ashkor87 Raducanu playing well...it is often how good your #2 player is, that is decisive...everyone has one good player, few countries have 2..
by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:17 am
At least the underarm serve has the element of surprise!!
Errani's serve is ALWAYS a surprise
Really. Her regular serve is a putrid delivery that comes at about 70 MPH. Serving underarm at 68 MPH adds very little to that.
by ashkor87
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 1:47 am
Slovakia continues to surprise! Looking unbeatable! GB looking good too, they have a very strong #2 in Raducanu...if I didn't distrust Boulter so much I would call them favorites now to win the BJK Cup...haven't forgiven Boulter for knocking me out of the USO SP...
Boulter does it again! Justified my distrust, I mean
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ashkor87 So Italy did win the bjk cup after all..the real heroine was Bronzetti, though, won all her matches...
by mick1303 I'm wondering if Zverev will join Germany team for next round. Davis Cup is something that he didn't win yet. And with their doubles team the chances are good.
by ti-amie
by ashkor87 US doubles team- why would you play Paul and Shelton instead of Ram and Krajicek,? No faith in your specialist doubles players?
by ashkor87 And let us not forget what happened the last time they refused to play Ram..Fish lost his captaincy too! Why do they never learn,? And Bryan is a doubles specialist himself!
Is there something else to this story I don't know?
by skatingfan
mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2024 8:39 pm
I'm wondering if Zverev will join Germany team for next round. Davis Cup is something that he didn't win yet. And with their doubles team the chances are good.
Nominations to the team had to be in before the even started, and if I'm understanding the rules correctly at least 3 members of the German team would have to withdraw with injury in order to nominate additional players.
by Fastbackss
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2024 12:16 am
US doubles team- why would you play Paul and Shelton instead of Ram and Krajicek,? No faith in your specialist doubles players?
Italy luckier today than the US according to AP article
"
Volandri swapped out his original doubles team, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, for Sinner and Berrettini, and the change paid dividends"
by ashkor87 But Paul/Shelton? Are they Sinner/Berretini?
by ashkor87 seriously.. is there a hint of racism here? Ram is of Indian origin..! being sidelined repeatedly, to the detriment of all? I would hope not..?
by ponchi101 No, c'mon. That is one (or several) steps too far.
Yes, he is a fine player. He is also like 75 yo.
And, for some people, playing two top single players will always be better than playing a top doubles team. Yes, it shows lack of respect for the doubles players, but, there is a reason why they can't crack the ATP in singles.
by ashkor87 As I said, hope not..
by ashkor87 Still, strange decision...Shelton had just played a hard-fought singles match, must have been tired..and Ram/Krajicek just won the silver at the Olympics..it is not as if Ram is over the hill!
by ti-amie I was surprised they didn't use Ram/Krajicek to be honest. Shelton played a really tough singles match and there was no way he could've been ready to play doubles. I saw like two minutes and Paul looked so tentative out there I didn't bother to watch feeling the other team would win.
Bryan made a statement about why he chose those two to play. I'll see if I can find it again.
by ti-amie This was the TB Shelton played vs Kokkinakis scoreline.
Then he was asked to play doubles.
by ti-amie
Bob Bryan.
“We had great options for doubles but I opted for the fire power of the singles players to surprise them. It was a match up decision”.
“I decided in the 15 minutes between the singles and the doubles match. The idea was to surprise them.”
Says he doesn’t regret.
by ti-amie What fire power could Shelton have had left after that brutal singles match?
by Suliso It worked out for Italy, but not US. Easy to second guess.
by ashkor87
Suliso wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 8:04 am
It worked out for Italy, but not US. Easy to second guess.
Italy had Sinner and Berretini .not Shelton and Paul. Hardly the same decision
by Suliso Sinner just as dominant here. Will be surprising if Italy doesn't repeat.
by mick1303 Repeat DC wins will be already considered "a dynasty" )
by ashkor87
Suliso wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 5:34 pm
Sinner just as dominant here. Will be surprising if Italy doesn't repeat.
With the abbreviated format, a team can win the DC with one great player..
by ashkor87 Italy looks like winning both the BJK and Davis Cup! Incredible! Awesome!
Can't remember off the top of my head when it last happened .Canada came close last year ..
by mick1303 last time Russia in 2021. Before that Czechs in 2012. Before that - US in 1990... Not often
by Suliso As expected Sinner adds Davis Cup to his 2024 title collection.
An interesting statistical fact - all of his 6 defeats this year took the max amount of sets (5 at Wimbledon and RG, 3 at IW, MC, Canada and Beijing).
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Sorry. The Davis Cup is NOT the World Cp of tennis. The whole point was that it was a distinctive competition, with a lot more history than the WC.
I guess that is what happens when you ruin a great event. I don't see, for example, Wimbledon ever calling itself THE MASTERS OF TENNIS, in reference to the golf competition.
by ashkor87 In retrospect, Ferrer erred in playing Nadal in singles .should have saved him for doubles ..
by ashkor87 to me, the story of these Cups is the story of mistakes/failures of captaincy:
1. Davenport - could not get her best players to play - Keys, Kenin, Anisimova , Krawczyk and Dolehide in doubles - none of them was fielded. Keys is her mentee!
2. Ferrer- should have fielded Nadal in doubles only - he is not good enough in singles any more but can still win doubles
3. Bryan - the less said the better
4. The Czech BJK captain - couldnt get Muchova to play? Why? she had not played Riyadh..
by skatingfan Muchova is injured - Keys got married this weekend, so was probably busy with finishing the planning - Nadal wanted to play singles to finish his career, and that was more important than winning - Bryan used the same strategy as the Italians, and it didn't work - no guarantee that the doubles specialists would have won either.
by nelslus
skatingfan wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:20 am
Muchova is injured - Keys got married this weekend, so was probably busy with finishing the planning - Nadal wanted to play singles to finish his career, and that was more important than winning - Bryan used the same strategy as the Italians, and it didn't work - no guarantee that the doubles specialists would have won either.
Sure. OK. Except for that silver medal (which, one could very much argue, was helped by at least some of the Olympics doubles teams being inexperienced playing together), Rajeev and Krajicek have been a hot-mess team this year, and they have both played pretty weakly for at least all of this year with other partners.
However.....you are the Davis Cup coach who, allegedly has some experience with doubles. You have one multi-Slam doubles winner playing with a one Slam doubles winner, who also has a Slam doubles SF result and mixed Slam doubles final result. Both have been ranked #1 in the world in doubles. Instead, you play....Tommy Freakin' Paul and Ben I Got Love for the Guy but COME ON Shelton (albeit, HEY, at least Ben made the SF at the US Open with Townsend last year). Why at least not play Paul and Fritz- who at LEAST!!!! won a bronze medal together at the Olympics last year....Why didn't you play Tommy Paul in singles, instead of, if I am recalling this correctly, Ben, who was a newbie at Davis Cup....
Team Italy did take an arguably big risk playing Sinner in the doubles against Argentina in their QF....except, Sinner is now a proven big-time champion, and Berrettini ain't no slouch when it comes to big matches. AND, they played against a doubles team nowhere near the current level of Thompson/Ebden. Who killed Ben and Tommy- which I knew would happen, as any reasonable tennis fan should have known.
I mean, for all I know, hey, maybe Ben was looking like the GOAT in front of Bob in Davis Cup practice for all I know. But, practice matches mean NOTHING. Maybe Tommy is aching, maybe Fritz would not play doubles....
Odds are, the US was gonna lose. Nevertheless- if you are Davis Cup coach- you should know the game enough to play your Best Chances players. Mardy Fish clearly did not get it. But, GOAT doubles champion candidate Bob Freakin' Bryan when picking the doubles team....Not to mention how bad it looks to keep shafting Rajeev Ram, over and over again. IMO, it looks like Bob coached on the level of Mardy- except you would hope HE knew to trust doubles champions....
by ti-amie
by skatingfan This event seems very late this year.
by ashkor87 Sinner had won it a couple years ago..so .
(I think). By definition, no one compares 
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