2014 Davis Cup

[herios]

Italy beat Argentina. Sijsling up 2 sets to 0 on Rosol in the decider between Netherlands and Czech Rep. Murray took a tight first set from Querrey. Must win match for the US.

Sijsling - Rosol was not the decider, Berdych clinched the victory first so it was already 3-1 for them.
Rosol lost in 2 sets.

Both Berdych and Fognini won all their 3 matches.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Sam has picked up his game. Lost the first set in a tight tie breaker and second set is
going on right now with a score line of 4-4. If Sam can pull this off, USA can win
hopefully. But, chances are extremely less. But, weird things can happen in DC.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

another tie breaker between sam and andy . must win for sam.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Sam pulls off the second set tie breaker. It is a set all now. Things are beginning to get
interesting, but I cannot watch any more.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

andy 2-1 up..gb a set away from first win in the usa since the 1930s (so they claim on telly).

 

[Fiero425]

andy 2-1 up..gb a set away from first win in the usa since the 1930s (so they claim on telly).

Querry had 2 break points in the 1st game of the 4th but blew it! :cry

 

[Moxie]

andy 2-1 up..gb a set away from first win in the usa since the 1930s (so they claim on telly).

That's an interesting fact. Also, their first win at world group level for 28 years, according to Tennis Channel. Too bad for US, but good job by Britain. I liked that baseball stadium tennis court.

 

[Fiero425]

andy 2-1 up..gb a set away from first win in the usa since the 1930s (so they claim on telly).

That's an interesting fact. Also, their first win at world group level for 28 years, according to Tennis Channel. Too bad for US, but good job by Britain. I liked that baseball stadium tennis court.

I still can't believe they went to all that trouble in constructing that monstosity of a court! They're in California and couldn't find anything more appropriate? Mon dieu! :nono :nono

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It is official. GB wins the tie.

 

[Noelann]

Now we can add congratulations to the Swiss team. Their doubles team of Chiudinelli/Lammer "upset" the more experienced Serbians Zimonjic/Krajinovic, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 to seal the victory in the tie 3-0.

Congrats to the Swiss team, credit a tired Federer and a "mentally and physically exhausted" Wawrinka for making the long haul flight from Australia to play.

Condolences to the Serbian team that fought hard, but was left without a top player when Djokovic pulled out because he was "mentally and physically exhausted" *, and Tipsarevic who was injured, and Troicki who is banned for antidoping violation refusing to take the blood test.

Switzerland will move on to play Kazakhstan or Belgium with the former leading the tie 2-1.


*I personally think Djokovic may have still been ticked off at his treatment in last year's Davis Cup final where they had him contained in the anti-doping testing room for 5 hours during the doubles match and couldn't be there to support the team... but who knows?

Respectfully,
masterclass

More expierienced doubles team Zimonjic/Krainovic :laydownlaughing This was first mach played by Krainovic in DC /in live rubber/ ,and first double match in his carieer. And your speculation about Novak not playing this tie are just valid as the clames of more experienced doubles.
Can't understadnd why people just can't enjoy the victory of theirs fave without trying to belittle other players.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The QF between Kazakhstan and Switzerland will be held in Switzerland and they get to
decide on what courts it will be played. This will eliminate travel woes for the Swiss Blokes.

 

[Iona16]

I give up. I really do. 3/5 of the pictured team are Scottish. All 5 British. Well done Andy and team Great Britain.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

we are now on our way to global domination. so mote it be.

 

[britbox]

Huge win for Team GB. Big Kudos for Andy Murray, who gets taken for granted by Brit fans so often... and great to see one of the supporting cast step up to make his efforts worth it. Props to James Ward...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I give up. I really do. 3/5 of the pictured team are Scottish. All 5 British. Well done Andy and team Great Britain.

Which one of these chaps is Ward?

 

[britbox]

2nd from right

 

[Moxie]

Huge win for Team GB. Big Kudos for Andy Murray, who gets taken for granted by Brit fans so often... and great to see one of the supporting cast step up to make his efforts worth it. Props to James Ward...

I watched the last of Ward's match v. Querrey on Friday. He was great! He made rather a splash, at least amongst tennis fans nerdy enough to watch Davis Cup. It was terrific to Andy on fine form, too, of course, but Ward was a bit of a revelation.

@Fiero: I'm not sure why you didn't like the tennis court in the baseball stadium. I thought it was like a US-equivalent of Spain making one in a bullring. Just didn't work out the same, in the end. Are you sorry they picked clay?

 

[Iona16]

James Ward often plays above his ranking when he plays Davis Cup. His favourite surface is hard courts but he loves playing on clay. He spent four years training at Equelite Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy. He and Sam had only played once before - Queen's in 2011. James won in 3.

I have to say I liked the court in the baseball stadium. One British tennis correspondent was tweeting background info on the stadium. I now know more about the San Diego Padres than I did before the tie.

I have to say I'm glad my boy stuck with tennis.

 

[masterclass]

Now we can add congratulations to the Swiss team. Their doubles team of Chiudinelli/Lammer "upset" the more experienced Serbians Zimonjic/Krajinovic, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 to seal the victory in the tie 3-0.

Congrats to the Swiss team, credit a tired Federer and a "mentally and physically exhausted" Wawrinka for making the long haul flight from Australia to play.

Condolences to the Serbian team that fought hard, but was left without a top player when Djokovic pulled out because he was "mentally and physically exhausted" *, and Tipsarevic who was injured, and Troicki who is banned for antidoping violation refusing to take the blood test.

Switzerland will move on to play Kazakhstan or Belgium with the former leading the tie 2-1.


*I personally think Djokovic may have still been ticked off at his treatment in last year's Davis Cup final where they had him contained in the anti-doping testing room for 5 hours during the doubles match and couldn't be there to support the team... but who knows?

Respectfully,
masterclass

More expierienced doubles team Zimonjic/Krainovic :laydownlaughing This was first mach played by Krainovic in DC /in live rubber/ ,and first double match in his carieer. And your speculation about Novak not playing this tie are just valid as the clames of more experienced doubles.
Can't understadnd why people just can't enjoy the victory of theirs fave without trying to belittle other players.

Go ahead, Laugh your head off
Ninad Zimonjic has the most Davis Cup doubles experience by far of all of the doubles players that participated. So yes, the Serbian team was the most experienced doubles team by far... 40 matches vs 5.

Zimonjic - 40 doubles matches - (27-13).
Krainovic - 0 doubles matches

Lammer - 2 doubles matches (2-0)
Chiudinelli - 3 doubles matches (0-3)

As far as my speculation, if it is just as valid as my other claim (fact), then I guess it is valid speculation. But I qualified it by saying it was a personal opinion.

I just don't buy the published reason that he was "physically and mentally exhausted". If you believe that Novak Djokovic, who has been since 2011, the fittest man in tennis or one of the top 2 or 3 for sure, was physically exhausted after playing a grand total of 5 matches on the tour this year, cruising throught the opening 4 rounds, and losing in the QF of the AO on Tuesday, Jan 21, then I have a bridge to sell you. And I think most of his fans would agree that he is the one of the most mentally tough players on the tour. On Monday Jan 27, Novak Djokovic was skiing in Kopaonik, Serbia, and in a small competition no less.

Stan Wawrinka also said in Novi Sad that he was "mentally and physically exhausted", but then this season, he won his first tourney in Chennai, playing 5 matches, and then as we all know won the Australian Open playing 7 matches, his last against Nadal on Sun Jan 26, then after his various interview and winner responsibilities, flew the long haul flight back to Switzerland arriving on the 28th, a jet lag of 10 hour time difference, and turned around and flew to Serbia arriving on the 29th, to begin practicing for his match on Friday Jan 31. All this didn't stop him from playing in Davis Cup, but anyone who saw the match he won, could see he was not at his best. But then he didn't need to be, he just had to play as well as he could and it was enough. I doubt he could have beaten a more rested Novak Djokovic, but we'll never know.

All that said, there may have been other reasons as well that Nole didn't play. I could speculate that he is fed up with the ITF, that manages Davis Cup, between their handling of the Troicki case, and his own detention in the Davis Cup final as I mentioned. And perhaps he didn't relish the prospect of trying to lead the Davis Cup team single-handedly (without Tipsarevic or Troicki) again, and/or face Wawrinka again so soon after losing to him at the AO.

Or maybe he just placed a higher priority on going skiing and then relaxing. Only he knows for sure.
In the end it's his choice. I'll leave you with a recent image post (yesterday) that Stan re-tweeted on his twitter..

Sports Quotes ‏@Sports_Greats 19h
Retweeted by Stanislas Wawrinka

Respectfully,
masterclass

 

[Noelann]

One player does'nt make a double team,basic knowledge of the game says that the most important thing in doubles is teamwork, or experience as you call it, and it may not be the case if half of the team plays his first match in doubles.
As for Novak, I'll leave you to enjoy in your speculations, as they are basic thames in your posts about this DC match Swiss/Serb,( not only on this forum).