Been told this morning that the deadline day for announcing the venue is 14th Nov. Bid cities include Marbella/Malaga, Granada and Murcia. Smart money is on the venue being in the south which would rule out Murcia (unfortunately for me). I don't know if that is an exclusive list or not. There may be others.

JonH wrote:

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I noticed Sergi Bruguera had taken over as the Spanish DC Captain for next year as well...

Bob, for those prospective venues, would they all be clay court surfaces? Good news is they are all attractive venues for folks fancying some tennis and some winter sun... 

-- Edited by JonH on Tuesday 17th of October 2017 12:02:24 PM

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I think that whichever venue is chosen in the end, the court will be purpose built.  So while clay remains the obvious choice, we will not know that for sure until the 14th Nov. 

Vandenburg wrote:

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indiana wrote:

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If Alex Ward could really stay fit and show good form for a while might he challenge Cam for a place on clay ?

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 Sorry Indiana, can you re-edit this post with 'MOST BOLDEST BORDERLINE, CRAZIEST PREDICTION EVER'

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Not really a prediction is it, it's a throw a question out there to see any thoughts, while yes my very posing of it does indicate that I didn't myself see it as such a crazy possibility if the tie is on clay.

Since I posed it, I had no reaction here until now, though his name was separately brought up in a Davis Cup vs Spain context in another thread, in which time ( while less than a month ) Cam has won two successive Challenger titles and risen from WR 164 to WR 110. And re the "If" I began with, Alex meanwhile appears not to have remained fit and one way or another has not really at all to date backed up the Columbus Challenger final he made that week. I believe he was at the SF stage at the time of my post. Still a pretty good Wimbledon and a challenger final would leave a big "if" with Alex and it got one. 

Spectator wrote:

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I didn't respond earlier, but I didn't think it at all an unusual question. Alex Ward has always been someone who preferred clay; he started off in Spain; and if his body would just allow him to stay healthy, he has clear potential as a fine ball striker. His successes at Wimbledon and Columbus have indicated that he can play on the bigger stages. I'd love to see him have the kind of run that would make the question more than a speculative one.

-- Edited by Spectator on Thursday 19th of October 2017 03:55:07 AM

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 This is a new level of madness which is creeping into this forum.

Success at Wimbledon? Did he win a raffle in the pub? What was this??

The idea of the world number 400 playing against Spain in the DC..........if this happens, I will be writing a letter to Theresa May to demand a select committee meeting into the state of sport in the UK.

I heard grass is Dan Evans fav surface, as he has been to Australia a few times, maybe he should open in the Ashes with Alistair Cook? 

-- Edited by Vandenburg on Thursday 19th of October 2017 04:42:54 PM

Jaffa wrote:

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I agree with this, Alex hasn't really had any success at all on clay this year. A futures SF in Spain and a win in qualifying in Marrakech. 

Fair to say his recent form on the other surfaces is far far better.

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 Watch yourself,  this forum has a PC agenda, you are not allowed to speak your mind.  The mods on this forum probably backed a female Dr Who. 

Spectator wrote:

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Jaffa, it's a fair point that Mr Ward's results on clay this year aren't unusually strong, and that his results on others surfaces have been stronger.

It's probably worth noting that both Indiana and I phrased our comments in a way that indicated that continued good health and further good results would be necessary to make the answer to the question affirmative.

Vandenburg, I don't think anyone on the forum objects to people having opinions or disagreements: most of us rather tend to go in for the former and sooner or later many of us (this poster included!) engage in the latter. But I think the kind of thing that can cause friction is material like the line in your post above re: Mr Ward's performance at Wimbledon. If you don't feel qualifying at Wimbledon and making a Challenger final is sufficient grounds for us to have posed or pondered the question about DC, fine to say that, and it's a perfectly justifiable position. And I'd agree that if someone's not in good health or having continued successes, it wouldn't be good for them or the team to put them in a high-stakes situation. But making flippantly dismissive comments about a talented, hard-working player's success just doesn't feel right somehow. No one wants us all to be unduly deferential or adulatory, but basic respect for the players we follow - as for players and people in general - seems important. 

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 21st of October 2017 02:45:17 AM

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 completely agree Spectator, I just meant not at this stage. Sorry if wires crossed!

Can't see that it's going to be other than Cam and Kyle in Feb.