Davis Cup 2019, Madrid

[Moxie]

Some around here will know I have the theory of the "Davis Cup Bump." Mostly it has been for players that needed a leg-up, or maybe are on the cusp. Nadal helped win the '04 DC for Spain, and then went on to have a great '05. (Well, and then some.) Verdasco helped Spain win in `08, and then made the SFs of AO just a few weeks later. Arguably, his career was better since then. In 2010, Djokovic, while trending, was clearly saving himself at the end of the year for the DC. When Serbia won, I think that gave him a jet-pack of confidence that took him into 2011 and beyond. Of course, playing DC and winning it isn't the be all and end all in tennis, but it seems to give a huge boost to players, when they win it. Not just for self, but for team.

Nadal doesn't need a Davis Cup Bump, but he will have to be feeling really good about the way his year ended. He's a confidence player, and his confidence must be high going into the 2020 season. I'm hoping he takes it all the way to the end of the Australian Open.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Some around here will know I have the theory of the "Davis Cup Bump." Mostly it has been for players that needed a leg-up, or maybe are on the cusp. Nadal helped win the '04 DC for Spain, and then went on to have a great '05. (Well, and then some.) Verdasco helped Spain win in `08, and then made the SFs of AO just a few weeks later. Arguably, his career was better since then. In 2010, Djokovic, while trending, was clearly saving himself at the end of the year for the DC. When Serbia won, I think that gave him a jet-pack of confidence that took him into 2011 and beyond. Of course, playing DC and winning it isn't the be all and end all in tennis, but it seems to give a huge boost to players, when they win it. Not just for self, but for team.

Nadal doesn't need a Davis Cup Bump, but he will have to be feeling really good about the way his year ended. He's a confidence player, and his confidence must be high going into the 2020 season. I'm hoping he takes it all the way to the end of the Australian Open.

Really Moxie..if you throw out the performance vs Zverev, Rafa have been almost unbeatable since sw19

 

[Moxie]

Really Moxie..if you throw out the performance vs Zverev, Rafa have been almost unbeatable since sw19

Don't make me feel sad that he didn't get to play Roger at the YEC. I think he could have moved on there. Ah, well.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Spain,Canada,along with semifinalists France and Serbia have all qualified for the 2020 Davis Cup final round next November.

 

[Front242]

This has got to be a nightmare of weekend for Fronty, GSM and all those type of Fed Fans.

Didn't watch a single second of it. Good on Nadal for playing well but the new format has belittled Davis Cup and I very much doubt he'd have played anywhere near as many matches if it hadn't been relegated to best of 3. Imagine the slams suddenly moving to best of 3 after they were always best of 5. But either way again, well played by him no doubt.

 

[Bonaca]

Really Moxie..if you throw out the performance vs Zverev, Rafa have been almost unbeatable since sw19

He is really in good shape/form on HC. He also didnt play bad in Wimbledon.
But in all fairness i have to say he should have lost the match against Medvedev and could have against Tsitsipas. He won, yes, but i would not say that was a "unbeatable" performance.
Let us others a bit hope for 2020

 

[the AntiPusher]

He is really in good shape/form on HC. He also didnt play bad in Wimbledon.
But in all fairness i have to say he should have lost the match against Medvedev and could have against Tsitsipas. He won, yes, but i would not say that was a "unbeatable" performance.
Let us others a bit hope for 2020

Rafa has got to either abandoned the ridiculous position for the return of service or just put in more work because it's the sole reason he is loosing to Fed and Djoker at SW19..IMO.

 

[Bonaca]

Rafa has got to either abandoned the ridiculous position for the return of service or just put in more work because it's the sole reason he is loosing to Fed and Djoker at SW19..IMO.

Yes i also think his return position is not the best.
Against Federer it is difficult to stand closer to the baseline, he is a hell of a server.
Against Novak he can do much better. But against Novak he has to serve also very well , difficult mission over 5 sets.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yes i also think his return position is not the best.
Against Federer it is difficult to stand closer to the baseline, he is a hell of a server.
Against Novak he can do much better. But against Novak he has to serve also very well , difficult mission over 5 sets.

It’s because of his backswing..if he shorten it he can stand closer to the baseline. Rafa has better mini tennis skills(the mid court area right outside of the service line) to where he can use his hand and eye coordination to just block it back like Roger does. Although Rafa is one of the best at breaking back servers after he has been broken,,he still gives up too much real estate to the “smart servers” like Roger and Novak.

 

[herios]

In English, or in Spanish?

Romanian as well. "Salatiera".

 

[isabelle]

France and Serbia got a WC for 2020 edition

 

[Moxie]

Romanian as well. "Salatiera".

Right, but in English, are you saying that we call it the Salad Bowl? I'm seriously curious. I've only ever heard it in Spanish.

 

[Moxie]

Here is Tignor's take/review of changes in the DC and what was/wasn't fixed good or better. I guess it will be interesting to see what the new ATP Cup is going to be like and compare them. Much talk of a merger with Davis Cup, at least amongst the players...and then the suggestion to move it to September, which conflcts with Laver Cup. They're going to have to sort all of the Cups out.

 

[Jelenafan]

Didn't watch a single second of it. Good on Nadal for playing well but the new format has belittled Davis Cup and I very much doubt he'd have played anywhere near as many matches if it hadn't been relegated to best of 3. Imagine the slams suddenly moving to best of 3 after they were always best of 5.

I hear you. However I do think the DC year round best of five matches and rubbers just can’t be sustained in today’s year round ranking obsessed era.

This format was at least a genuine attempt to address some of the perceived anachronisms of DC.

For the record, I do remember for some years when the early rounds of the FO were best of three sets.