Davis Cup - Euro Africa Zone I - GBR v Ukraine 6-8 March 2009

Count Zero · Tennis legend

RE: Davis Cup - Euro Africa Zone I - GBR v Ukraine 6-8 March 2009

Count Zero · Tennis legend

test?

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Glasgow confirmed as venue -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7693199.stm

Tickets on sale now
http://www.lta.org.uk/Watch/Davis-Cup/

-- Edited by mjd at 00:41, 2008-10-29

indiana · Tennis legend

Hey if I'm around then, I think I'll try and get along to the dark end of the M8 !

I am a man of leisure at the moment and have travelling ideas, if not set plans, so we shall see,

But it would be good maybe to meet one or two of you, if you happen to be there, if you don't mind aquainting yourself with a slightly older geezer

James · Satellite level

How old are you indiana?!

indiana · Tennis legend

49, so hardly ancient smile

Just I get the impression a bit older than most here.

James · Satellite level

Most likely but hardly the walking stick wielding old codger that I had originally imagined wink

I did actually meet another user, at the Manchester challenger, who was 40+ [No specifics!] from this board, so you're not alone in your age category.

Drew · Oct 29, 2008

Im 41 and proud....and will happily meet up with you Indiana !

As for the team.

I hope it is :

Andy Murray - shoe in of course.

Jamie Baker - Please stay fit and hopefully gets a few wins between now and then.

Ross Hutchins - I predict he will be the GB No 1 doubles player by then. It would do Jamie no harm to site one out and see how hungry he is to get back in !

Daniel Evans - Unless another one of our younger crew step up dramatically I can see Dan being the number 4.

Josh, Slabba, James Ward and Chris Eaton cannot be discounted and would have good reason to be in with a shout but I think Bloomers and Boggo wont be considered.

I dont think it would be fair to play Dan ahead of Josh, Slabba, James and Chris but I think the LTA are looking to groom young Evans into the DC slot. Just a hunch.

wolf · Tennis legend

What is about Jamie Baker that makes everyone regard him as our second player? I'd definately pick Goodall and Bloomers ahead of him, unless it is on outdoor hard. I can't see Boggo ever winning a five set match so I really wouldn't pick him again unless he gets to top 100, especially as his results go into meltdown after a DC tie. Jamie has won three matches since March but still everyone is saying lets picks him lets pick him.

My team would be:
Andy
Goodall or Bloomers
Ward or Slabba
Highest ranked doubles specialist at the time

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i think its cause its pretty obvious Lloyd rates baker highly. and he is the one who picks the team.

i agree would be interesting to see jamie M's reaction if he were to get dropped from the team.

i hope boggo gets left out as well. its going to be indoors so we will have to see who performs best over the early indoor season, even perhaps this early winter season and none of them are doing them selves any favours at the moment with their results.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

I'd expect Baker to be in the squad as the tie is in Scotland and the fact that Lloyd rates him, but unless he starts to put the wins together at whatever level, it's very difficult to argue that he should be the 2nd singles player, especially with the tie indoors where he isn't as good as Boggo/Goodall etc.

To be honest though, the 2nd singles player shouldn't matter much if Andy plays, as he'll win both his singles rubbers, Stakhovsky will win his match on the Friday, and he should win the doubles, meaning that the 2nd singles player doesn't have a lot to do, unless we do mess the doubles rubber up, so maybe throwing in Evans for experience is the way to go, and then change to Baker etc in a 5th rubber if it is still live then.

Vandenburg · Futures level

my team for the cup would be
Murray
Marray
j murray and hutchins

i think marray as a wild card,
these Ukraanions wont cope with this serve and volley style of game,they will think its some sort of witch craft or a russian iron curtian secret?????

tennisfan84 · Junior player

I agree with Wolf, I sadly think Baker is a bit of a spent force and will take a long time to get back to the level he once was. He has no real weapons so will have to play himself into form (after the illness) which will take at least a solid year of back to back competitions.

Dan Evans - I think Evans has got to be involved somehow and deservedly so. With no player than Andy being able to produce a singles win, blooding Dan would help push him towards challenger level competition. Dan has as good a chance as any of the other Brits to shock Bubka Jr or Marchenko. DAN EVANS FOR 2ND SINGLES PLAYER!

Hutchins & Murray - I agree that Hutchins and Jamie Murray will also be involved but shouldn't be at the expense of another singles player. One or the other should be selected and on form, it should be HUTCHINS. Although both are solid doubles players, neither compare to Andy Murray regardless of whether he's playing regular doubles which means Andy should be playing all three rubbers.

Bogdanovic - sadly can't get the job done on the Davis Cup stage and Eaton (hope I'm proved wrong) seems to have done a Flanagan and had one good week in the grass court season and will drop back into the 500's.

Goodall - I would select Josh over Bloomers and Slabba as he has performed better at Challenger level in general and has greater firepower but Evans for me.

Drew · Jan 11, 2009

Good piece from OEM on the DC selection headache that Lloyd has looming. 'Seven possibles' to choose from. Perhaps even Dan Evans ?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article5446826.ece

My ideal team would be Andy, Jamie Baker, Ross Hutchins and Dan Evans.

Only if JB had a great start to the season with good wins and a title.

Other than that Josh in lieu of Baker. Dan should have shown enough to warrant the 4th place.

steven · Tennis legend

I saw this a few days ago and it's certainly going to be interesting to see which was Lloydy goes. Just looking at it again, I wonder why OEM says that only Josh and Chris have played 5-set matches when Bloomers has as well - he's won one against Berlocq, nearly won in the Wimby FQR last year and has played a couple more at Wimby too, notably not looking completely outclassed by Haas or Hewitt, even though he didn't have a hope in hell of beating them.