The most sensible comment about the Eaton vs Ward match that I read on BBC was -
Frankly Tennish.... .......... Both players neutralised each other which is more likely to suggest they don't have the "shots in the locker" to win the match against the other player and ended up grinding out a long match.................
A point missed by Jonathan Overend and many others.
By the way, as for doubles - Which players have reached a 3rd round at a grand slam before conceding to the Bryans? Bloomfield-Marray, beating Ratiwatina twins and Fyrstenburg-Kubot in four sets along the way. Or could Jamie M pair with Hutch if Andy cant make it?
The most sensible comment about the Eaton vs Ward match that I read on BBC was -
Frankly Tennish.... .......... Both players neutralised each other which is more likely to suggest they don't have the "shots in the locker" to win the match against the other player and ended up grinding out a long match.................
A point missed by Jonathan Overend and many others.
Well, if there is a gap in class between them and the top then Josh will have a chance to show it tomorrow
This all has a sad air of inevitability about it, doesn't it. Though as I said many pages ago in this thread, my fear was that a couple of players would end up injured this week rather than ill - the DC curse and all that.
The Telegraph is calling it the "Tartan curse", suggesting that the LTA holding a DC tie in Scotland is the cue for everything to unravel, at least once the tickets have sold out. They think Jamie might be recalled, while the Mail claims to have heard that he won't be drafted in whatever happens. That could make Colin the only Scot in the team, if we assume he'd edge Wardy for the last place if Andy doesn't play, and I think he would, if only because he's a better option for doubles.
Despite the suspect 'surely not again' timing, by all accounts Andy really is ill, so I hope for his sake he can get rid of whatever virus he's got before it ruins what promised to be such a good year.
GBR without Andy against UKR without Stakh could be very interesting, of course, but it sounds like Stakh is more likely to play than Andy now.
-- Edited by steven at 20:58, 2009-02-26
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Update: John Lloyd has taken the decision to not play the third round of matches in the play-offs. Instead, the final two spots in the AEGON GB Davis Cup team will be announced by Lloyd at 9:30am on Friday 27th February.
Initially, Lloyd was keen for the last stage of the audition to go ahead, but from this change of heart - the LTA insisted last night it had not been given any firm indication that Murray would not be fit to play - it would appear certain that Josh Goodall and Chris Eaton, the two players who won their first two play-off matches, will be selected for their debuts; Eaton replacing James Ward in the team originally nominated and which had to be posted with the ITF, the Davis Cup organising authority, on Tuesday. [so we were right about there being no conspiracy there]
What can you do? Lloyd said. I know Andy was desperately keen to play in this match. This was going to be a big test for whoever made it into the team, it may be a bigger one now. Lloyd has not considered recalling either Jamie Murray, Andys elder brother, or Alex Bogdanovic, the No 2 singles player, whom he originally omitted friom the squad. Goodall was once the doubles partner of Ross Hutchins, so could well be used a lot more on his debut than he could possibly have ever imagined. Colin Fleming, another Scot, may be put on standby as first reserve.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
However, I'd heard it from someone whoshould know before I saw it posted here, so I didn't question it. One possible explanation could be that they're just slightly under the weather, i.e. enough to make it safer to cancel the matches tomorrow but not enough to make a big thing of it. In other words, I wouldn't get too concerned about this unless it is corroborated by the media.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!