Davis Cup

[Fiero425]

I still don't understand Tsonga being offered a start or him accepting it in this DC final! I haven't checked the rankings lately, but France has had the deepest repository of talent in the top 100 for years; young and old! WTF? Are the stars at odds with the Federation? Croatia's running away with it even though Coric took a medical break off court! France is being "straight setted" out of this thing! Not sure the doubles can keep them in it tomorrow! :whistle:

 

[GameSetAndMath]

France will win the doubles match. But, they have 0 chance of winning the tie.

 

[isabelle]

poor performance from France, maybe captain Noah didn't select the right players ? where are Pouille and Simon ? I guess Croatia'll win, they deserve it, sad for my country

 

[mrzz]

Strange selection indeed for France. I really like Tsonga, but he played just a handful of matches the whole year. I understand the idea of going with experience... but there was a major winner on the other side of the net, not someone who would be shaking like a tree... Chardy, on the other hand, must be a charade even for his own coach, so, ok, I get the bet, even if on clay it sounds strange.

Croatia came in as huge favorites and it is living up to the bill. If they end up losing this would be one of the biggest upsets ever. They might even win the doubles, as Dodig is a good doubles player, and Pavic is ranked even higher than the two French players, who are indeed the favorites (given they play together routinely).

I always feel a bit strange when I see that to have very good depth does not help too much in a given tie (it helps you throughout the tournament, sure). France has a whole army of players, but at the moment Croatia has two guys playing better, and that is enough to win a tie. I really would like to see a team event where, say, at least 5 different guys play singles...

 

[The_Grand_Slam]

 

[britbox]

Sounds like a complete mess. I reckon it would only take about 10 top players to boycott and they'd change it.

 

[herios]

What was Noah thinking when he selected his players?
Maybe he should be changed after this fiasco.

 

[Carol]

Noah says that he can’t stop to cry

 

[Vince Evert]

Croatia has won the Davis Cup. It's the end of an era as we know it. The Davis cup will be different competition in 2019. Will the changes attract the elite players next year ?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Croatia has won the Davis Cup. It's the end of an era as we know it. The Davis cup will be different competition in 2019. Will the changes attract the elite players next year ?

The current elite players have all won DC and are getting old. So, it won't attract them. But, there is a chance that it will be regularly played by future elite players.

However, if both ATP and ITF are going to have their own version of team games (all in one place, one time modern version of DC) then most probably neither would succeed. Relatively speaking the one which suits the timing of players would succeed more than the other.

 

[Fiero425]

Not sure I've really cared about the DC in years! It seems to be more of a resume enhancer (like OG) than anything with the elite players! True diehards play each TIE and don't dump it after winning it unless they're at odds with their Feds! That makes more sense than playing some sick game of politics behind the scenes! :whistle:

 

[Carol]

Noah and Pouille crying after their bad result......

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I like the old format of DC with home and away ties. DC often produced matches in which a no name player punches way above his weight and wins. Also, because of the format it tends to have the effect of growing tennis in all nooks and corners of the world. I am not really a fan of the modernization of DC.

Now instead of both ITF and ATP doing modern versions of team games, at least one should do old fashioned version and one should do modern version.

 

[Fiero425]

I like the old format of DC with home and away ties. DC often produced matches in which a no name player punches way above his weight and wins. Also, because of the format it tends to have the effect of growing tennis in all nooks and corners of the world. I am not really a fan of the modernization of DC.

Now instead of both ITF and ATP doing modern versions of team games, at least one should do old fashioned version and one should do modern version.

You mean like the YEC Championships and "The Next Gen" events? Either way I just want the kvetchin' about the season being so long to cease! It's usually the top echelon that has the problem since they win so much & don't need the pts or $$ from 250's & 500 events! :whistle:

 

[britbox]

I'm sorry to see the Davis Cup go as we know it. The partisan crowds etc... The history is immense. I'd have preferred they found a way to better promote the existing tournament rather than this "World Cup type " event they are moving to.

Sometimes this endless quest for more money is a fucking poisoned chalice.

 

[isabelle]

awful for France, really shameful for Noah and guys
now those stupid ITF killed DC, don't know what the new formula'll be but nothing can be better than a 5 setters in front of a local crowd, really sad to this that mess

 

[britbox]

awful for France, really shameful for Noah and guys
now those stupid ITF killed DC, don't know what the new formula'll be but nothing can be better than a 5 setters in front of a local crowd, really sad to this that mess

I'm not sure what you mean by "shameful for Noah and the guys" - could you expand on that?

 

[Fiero425]

I'm not sure what you mean by "shameful for Noah and the guys" - could you expand on that?

IMO France has had some of the most talent in tennis; for years really! They weren't in the ELITES of the sport except in the doubles, but the sheer number of singles' players in the top 100 was staggering IIRC! I felt that was the reason they won it all last season! It just seemed they couldn't have been interested in defending their title by selecting Tsonga to shore up their team when he'd been "on the shelf" for ages! Were they that desperate? Did players decline to play for Noah! I really never looked into the dynamics of this DC final, but kind of knew with Coric and Cilic, they would have little trouble winning it! :whistle:

 

[isabelle]

I'm not sure what you mean by "shameful for Noah and the guys" - could you expand on that?

captain Noah talked on all French TVs and radios : he said all the team was ready to fight and almost promised to win the tie....then we saw this disaster : some injured players pulled out, some others wasn't in good shape but was picked up nevertheless, they all lokked like a group of amateurs instead of real well prepared pros. the performnace they offered was far away from Noah's lies
Simon is Cilic's nightmare : where was he ? Tsonga was the weak element of the tie like in 2014 : injured and not ready to play, the result's the same than in 2014. a lot of French journalists wondered why he was selected, me too to be honest
when your team is weak and not favourite, you have the decence to shut up, especially at hope and for the last edition
beeing trashed in Lille for the second time isn't a great memory for France

 

[Fiero425]

captain Noah talked on all French TVs and radios : he said all the team was ready to fight and almost promised to win the tie....then we saw this disaster : some injured players pulled out, some others wasn't in good shape but was picked up nevertheless, they all lokked like a group of amateurs instead of real well prepared pros. the performnace they offered was far away from Noah's lies
Simon is Cilic's nightmare : where was he ? Tsonga was the weak element of the tie like in 2014 : injured and not ready to play, the result's the same than in 2014. a lot of French journalists wondered why he was selected, me too to be honest
when your team is weak and not favourite, you have the decence to shut up, especially at hope and for the last edition
beeing trashed in Lille for the second time isn't a great memory for France

I definitely thought the same; "where were the players?!" This was a colossal joke and the French should be ashamed of themselves!