2016 Davis Cup discussion

[masterclass]

Friday's match results and tie standings:

Kyle Edmund (GBR) defeated a rusty Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 (Great Britain 1 - 0 Serbia)

2nd rubber postponed until Sat. Andy Murray is in Serbia supporting the team but not playing.

Frederico Delbonis (ARG) d. Andreas Seppi (ITA) 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) (Argentina 1 - 0 Italy)

2nd rubber postponed until Sat.
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) is being held back for doubles and possible 3rd day singles play if necessary.

Lukas Rosol (CZE) stunned Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 (Czech Republic 1 - 0 France) saving two match points in the 4th set tiebreaker.

Lucas Pouille (FRA) evened the tie defeating Jiri Vesely (CZE) 7-6(2), 6-4, 7-5 (Czech Republic 1 - 1 France)

Jack Sock (USA) roared back from 2 sets down to defeat favored Marin Cilic (CRO) 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 (USA 1 - 0 Croatia). It is Marin's second straight 5 set loss from 2 sets ahead.

John Isner (USA) extended the lead defeating Borna Coric (CRO) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 (USA 2 - 0 Croatia)

The postponed 2nd rubber singles matches in Serbia and Italy are being played first today.

So far in today's matches, Italy's Fabio Fognini is on fire and making Argentina's Juan "Pico" Monaco look like a club player on the clay courts of Circolo Tennis Baratoff in Pesaro, Italy..

Fabio broke himself in his opening service game but broke Monaco in every service game in the first set to take the set 6-1. Monaco was struggling to win points. Fognini was mixing pace, drop shots and lobs, and simply befuddling Monaco.

In the second set, Fognini continued his domination to win 10 straight games and surge to a 5-0 lead before Monaco finally held, then Fognini served it out to also take the second set 6-1.

Monaco and Fognini held in their opening service games of the third set. Fognini has just broken Monaco for a 2-1 lead in the third.

Respectfully,
masterclass

 

[masterclass]

Italy's Fabio Fognini dominated Argentina's Juan Monaco to win 6-1, 6-1, 7-5.
Monaco fought to stay in it in the third set but at 5-5, he was broken by a superb drop shot volley by the talented Italian.
Fognini rode the crowd's adulation to serve it out and take the match and evened the tie (Argentina 1 - 1 Italy)

 

[britbox]

Thanks Masterclass!

Good win for Kyle Edmund, I think @Bert had a few coins riding on that one.

Surprised to see Tsonga lose to Rosol... I guess JWT might have had his mind elsewhere... understandably.

 

[masterclass]

Saturday was an exciting day in the 2016 Davis Cup quarterfinals with 2 singles matches to make up and all the doubles matches to play.

Italy(c) 1 - 2

Argentina

First up was Italy's talented Fabio Fognini against Argentina's Juan Monaco, an accomplished clay court player with 8 dirt titles to his credit.
As described earlier in this thread, Fabio played one of his best Davis Cup matches (his defeat of Murray is also high up there). Fognini completely dismantled Monaco in the first 2 sets winning 6-1, 6-1 in 46 minutes, including 10 straight games with few points off the Monaco racquet. Juan said later that he didn't know when he was going to wake up, he was playing so badly. He made a little fight of it in the 3rd set coming back from a break down to even the set, but at 5-5 in the 3rd set, Fognini broke Monaco for the 8th time out of 11 chances and served out the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes, winning 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 to even the tie at 1 all

Barely breaking a sweat, Fabio made himself available for the doubles, and he along with Paolo Lorenzi faced Juan Martin del Potro and Guido Pella, who had never played together prior to the match.

The Argentine team started very well, drubbing the Italians 6-1 in the first set, then snatched a smart tiebreaker 2nd set and were up two sets to the good. But the Italian team, who had never won a match together, picked themselves up from the dirt of the Circolo Tennis court, fought back and played some great tennis to storm back and level the match at 2 sets all. The match had scrappy play at times, but nevertheless had great drama. In the deciding set, with all the momentum, the Italians had great chances to break and surge ahead at 3-3 when they had 3 break points at 0-40 on the Pella serve. But Argentina was resolute and held on to win the game. This turned the match around. Both Italians seemed to sag after not taking their opportunity, losing 12 consecutive points in all to go down love 30 at 5-3. But they finally held on for 5-4 and forced Argentina to serve out the match, which they did with some fine poaching net play from Mr. Del Potro.

Argentina celebrates doubles defeat of Italy 6-1, 76(4), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 [Italy 1 - 2 Argentina]

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Serbia(c) 1 - 2

Great Britain

The next singles match to be made up was with Serbia vs Great Britain at the Tasmajdan Stadium in Belgrade.
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) and James Ward (GBR) faced off. Ward was simply overwhelmed by an outstanding performance by Dusan who won 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 and evened the tie at 1 rubber each.

Great Britain redeemed itself in the doubles in 4 sets as the British pair of Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot overcame the Serbian's Nenad Zimonjic and Filip Krajinovic, 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.

The first set easily went the Brit's way as they broke the elder Zimonjic serve twice. But the second set went with serve all the way to the tiebreaker, and this time Zimonjic came through with some superb shots and the Serbian crowd was enraptured as Serbia leveled the match. However, their joy was to be short-lived as the 40 year old Zimonjic served a double fault for the break and gave the Brits a lead that they would not relinquish and took the third set. In the opening game of the 4th set, Great Britain broke the Krajinovic serve, and kept the lead the rest of the way as Inglot, after saving a break point, sealed the victory with two unreturnable serves.

Murray, Jamie congratulates doubles partner Dominic Inglot following the pair's win over Serbia.

2016 Wimbledon Champion Scotsman Andy Murray cheers on his brethern during the doubles match.

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Czech Republic (c) 1 - 2

France


In a nerve racking see-saw contest, France prevailed to win the doubles tie in 5 sets, .6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 The Wimbledon champions from 8 days ago, Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert started off well winning the first set easily 6-1. But the determined Czech team of Radek Stepanek and Lukas Rosol struck back in the second 6-3, after a poor service game from Herbert gave the Czech team a 5-3 lead. Stepanek served out the set as the home crowd went wild. Then the French bounced back in the third set, only dropping 2 points on serve to move within a set of victory. But in the 4th set and a break up, Davis Cup rookie Herbert got nervous with the crowd and situation and served two double faults and dropped serve to even the set. After the Czech team held for a 5-4 lead, again the French were broken again as Herbert dumped a volley into the net and the match went into the decider and again the Czech fans erupted. The French did well to recover their composure in the fifth set and immediately broke, and held their nerve throughout the remainder of the set and the nervous but courageous Herbert served out the match winning game to love.

Team Captain Yannick Noah ecstatically congratulates the winning doubles team of Nico Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert after a thrilling 5 set victory over the Czech Republic.

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USA (c) 2 - 1

Croatia

In a surprise upset, Croatia's doubles team defeated the USA's Bryan brothers who have won 112 doubles titles, the most in history, in 4 sets.

The Croatian team pounced on the Americans from the start, easily winning the first set 6-2. The Americans reversed the score in the second with a determined effort and a brief letdown from the Croats. But thereafter it was all Croatia.

“The difference was that Marin and Ivan played really unbelievable tennis today,” team captain Zeljko Krajan said. “Both were just on the top of their game, and Marin played the best doubles match of his life.”

“We just didn’t execute,” USA's Bob Bryan said. “Weren’t making a lot of first serves. Weren’t getting them in trouble from the start. They just kind of outplayed us in every aspect of the game today.”

Croatia's Cilic and Dodig celebrate after they defeat the USA's Bryan brothers 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 [ USA 2 - 1 Croatia]

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Sunday Preview

In Sunday's deciding matches, the remaining reverse single's rubbers will determine each tie's victors, with the away team leading in all but the USA-Croatia tie.

If Italy's Fognini manages to level the tie with Argentina, one would not be surprised to see Juan Martin del Potro step in for Juan Monaco against the probable Andreas Seppi.

Great Britain's 1st rubber winner Kyle Edmund is scheduled to take on Serbia's 2nd rubber winner Dusan Lajovic in a what seems an open match. Should Lajovic win, rested Janko Tipsarevic is scheduled to take on James Ward, but who knows, one might see a switch for Great Britain.

Can Czech's Jiri Vesely continue his good form on natural surfaces of the last few months and pull off an upset on hard court against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga? If he does, fireworks are certain to fly in the decider with the two winners from the 1st and 2nd rubbers, Rosol and Pouille set as the rocket launchers. For sure, France's captain Yannick Noah will be ready to make a change if he detects any weakness.

It is almost certain to be the top players from each team in the USA - Croatia match starting off, with John Isner and Marin Cilic facing off. Interestingly, Cilic leads the head to head 5-0. If necessary, Jack Sock is slated to play Borna Coric in the 5th and deciding rubber.

In eager anticipation,
masterclass

 

[britbox]

Great stuff @masterclass.

Surprised to see Croatia win the doubles... not often the Bryans lose DC matches.

Delpo is going to have to up his game for Argentina.

Big day for GB and Kyle Edmund.

 

[Moxie]

And Edmund gets it done in straights. He looked pretty emotional when he won.

 

[isabelle]

great to see Muzza there, interesting semis in september
can't wait to see my team meet Croatia

 

[britbox]

Semi Finals

Great Britain v Australia

Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Great Britain (hard - indoors)


Belgium v Argentina

Venue: Forest National, Brussels, Belgium (hard - indoors)

 

[isabelle]

Richie"ll replace injured Tsonga next we

 

[Carol]

Rafa and the Spanish team are already in New Delhi where from this Friday will play for the ascent to the World group.
I'm glad that Lopez/Lopez are playing the doubles