Week 8 - Davis Cup Play-offs - NTC

Drew · Feb 20, 2009

Week 8 - Davis Cup Play-offs - NTC

Drew · Feb 20, 2009

The match updates can be found HERE from the LTA.

Hopefully more frequent than the Fed Cup updates.

Vandenburg · Futures level

what a waste of time.... playing 3 5set mathces in one week, when they could be playing for real points in challanger/futures.

john · Top national player

Even the players think this is stupid, Lloyd has lost all credibility, even amongst his own team (if he even had any in the first place)

steven · Tennis legend

I can't believe I'm going to say this wink

but for once I agree with Vandenburg - they'd be far better off going for points.

However, it could be quite fun to see how all this pans out, even if it was a cop out of an idea, rendered even more of a farce by arbitrarily leaving out three of the GB top 8.

Also, based on past experience, if this hadn't been going on, JL might well have insisted on all of them except Muzza going to a DC training camp this week to 'prove their commitment', in which case they would still have missed out on the opportunity to gain ranking points. This little competition has to be better for the players than a contrived training week, so that's something.

In the end, I desperately hope we win the tie, that someone other than Muzza wins a singles rubber and that none of the players get injured while playing in this event, even if that superficially makes it look like this 'plan' has worked, despite the fact that I don't think Boggo has ever played anyone as weak as the UKR no. 2 in DC, while Bloomers and Marray, who have both won matches at Wimby in the past and been much higher-ranked than anyone else on the list (except Josh in Jonny's case) have never been given a chance.

In any competition between GB winning and being proved right, I'll always be cheering for the GB win! smile

-- Edited by steven at 00:58, 2009-02-22

mjd · Challenger qualifying

It hurts me but I have to agree with Stevens final comment.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Hope Andy doesn't get injured - then it would get very interesting for JL.

freerider · Futures level

if andy got injured we might as well play the dream team of dee and goode

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Regardless of the raison d'etre and the DC it will be voyeuristically interesting to see if anyone comes out on top this week

steven · Tennis legend

Good article by OEM today, who if I remember right was more in favour of the playoff idea than some of us, but is generally on the same page as the rest of us over most aspects of it.

For the full article, see http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article5786725.ece. Choice cuts (my emphasis) include:

"What makes this talent show to join Murray and Ross Hutchins in the squad the more intriguing is the obtuse manner in which the six participants were selected, that none of them has ever played a full five-set match and that, on Friday, when the final pair will be chosen, it will be down to John Lloyd, the Great Britain captain, to decide who plays who. Only if one player wins all three of his matches is a place guaranteed.

It might have been expected that Lloyd would simply take the next six British players in the ATP rankings, but instead, admittance was by invitation only and the numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11 came up. Alex Bogdanovic, at No 2, was not considered because of his woeful Davis Cup record and Richard Bloomfield, the No 5, was simply not considered no explanation was forthcoming. Jonny Marray, the No 8, was treated likewise. Jamie Baker, the No 10, was selected but withdrew because of injury.

steven · Tennis legend

Some choice quotes from Muzza in the Maily Dail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1152318/Andy-8217-s-main-man-Roger-gone.html

'Evans might be the most talented but he is the least experienced, said the British No. 1

Fleming is the most mature of them and is used to the team environment, having been on the American college circuit. 'I think he might surprise a few people.

I told John that I did not mind who I played in the doubles with but that I wanted it to be the player who is in the best form and the fact is that Ross has had the better results out of the two of them this year.

daisy · County player

"I told John that I did not mind who I played in the doubles with but that I wanted it to be the player who is in the best form and the fact is that Ross has had the better results out of the two of them this year"

Ross has withdrawn from Delray Beach with a 'back' problem.......

If a few days down at the NTC physio suite don't sort it out the 'doubles' team might need a rethink.
smile

steven · Tennis legend

Either the DC curse has struck again or Ross saw his draw at Delray and decided that going home early to get ready for DC would be more productive ...

steven · Tennis legend

I'm not sure how frequent any updates are likely to be today, but apparently:

Wardy v Evo - on court now
Slabba v Eaton - on court now
Goodall v Fleming - delayed until 12.30 to give Josh more time to recover from his Trento run / trip home

steven · Tennis legend

Wardy leads Evo 7-6 0-0
Eaton leads Slabba 6-4 0-0
Goodall v Fleming - 12.30 GMT start

Rumour has it that Tigger is at the NTC watching the action.

-- Edited by steven at 12:18, 2009-02-23