Davis Cup 2013 - E-A Zone Group I R2 - GB v Russia - 5-7 April

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

RE: Davis Cup 2013 - E-A Zone Group I R2 - GB v Russia - 5-7 April

indiana · Tennis legend

If Andy was to play in the World Group play-off, it is far too soon to say who the other player should be, I mean for this tie Leon only very belatedly changed his mind. So, it will be who looks the best candidate at the time with ideally no such dramatic last gasp change. My guess at this stage would be James, but clearly Evo for one will be being watched, and it would be great if this week ( with his performances and public opening up re some issues ) could this time really be a new start for him towards so much more consistently playing at or near his best.

I certainly agree regards how these guys and some other Brits could do with more home challengers !

huntley93 · Strong Club Player

if andy was to play do you not think it would be a bit harsh on either evo or ward, one of which would be dropped since evans has proved he can play on the big occasion and ward has always made himself avavaliable for selection and has been a DC regular over the last 2 or 3 years

spud · Challenger qualifying

Wow, the next tie will be tough!

Israel away has to be the best tie we could hope for

Spain away would be near impossible if Nadal/Ferrer played, would definitely be played on clay. Switzerland are also incredibly strong if they play Roger and Stan (who could both beat Andy) but that would be an awesome tie to go watch at home!

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

According to the BBC report, Andy had already committed to play in September before this weekend's matches.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

There's still time for Andy to drop out, and in many ways it wouldn't be a bad thing. The guys have really risen to the occasion this weekend, and I think that they wouldn't have with Andy there.

Andy's looking after his singles careers as are all the top players, which leaves the likes of Evo and Dino with these opportunities to pay much higher ranked players - and as we've just seen, beat them!

HossTheBoss · Strong Club Player

Well done Dan ,differant class .
Wonder if the lta will give you a coach now.

Armchair · County player

Totally brilliant weekend of tennis, such a shame that a wider audience didn't get to see that there's more to British Mens tennis than Andy Murray......

I could have done without the air horn though !

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Just made it back home to Spain. Missed the final rubber. People on the plane gave me a weird look when we landed and I turned on my phone to get Steven's message that we had won.

What a weekend.

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Also for the first time ever, when GB next play Davis Cup points will be on offer to anyone who wins a match

Spectator · All-time great

Perhaps it would be a good idea somewhat to depersonalise the whole thing? I do think Mr Evans and Mr Ward both should get WCs to the summer events, simply on the grounds that if you ask anyone -- whoever it might be -- to play for the country, and they do so brilliantly, they should receive some appropriate thanks. WCs seem like appropriate thanks, and giving them to Mr Evans and Mr Ward seems like the only decent thing to do. Not able to comment on the larger context of what the LTA's approach to Mr Evans should be.

-- Edited by Spectator on Monday 8th of April 2013 08:27:27 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting re Andy making himself available for September and huntley93 posing the question as to whether that would be a bit harsh on either James or Dan.

Whilst I was pretty much in the minority in being fairly unperturbed about Jamie being left out at the last minute for Evo, I am not totally uncaring ! I do wonder a bit about Andy effectively picking and choosing his matches, although I understand it from his point of view.

On balance, I'd again go in September with what is consideted the best team then ( by which I mean the.most likely to get the WIN ), including Andy if available and not mecessarily including either of James or Evo, although it is likely at this stage that one would be chosen.

For now though, all focus and congratulations should be on these who played and won this weekend.

korriban · Challenger level

Indy. It is uncomfortable, but I think if Leon or anyone else attempted to force some kind of greater commitment from Andy, where he couldn't pick and choose his DC matches to tie in with his tournament and training schedule, then the net result would be him pulling out of DC altogether.

Tennis is an increasingly individual and selfish sport at the highest level, and I do think it is somewhat unfair of the likes of Cash and McEnroe to bang on about their own DC histories and commitments when, of course, they had highly ranked team-mates and therefore excellent chances of going all the way in the tournament every single year. Would JMac have bothered if he had players ranked in the 200s and 300s alongside him? I'm with Andy on this one.

I found some of Dan Evans comments on his talent vs ranking fascinating, and was staggered (but thinking about it, shouldn't have been) that he hadn't played "abroad" (excl Ireland) in over 12 months. Along with his recent spate of non-entries to GB $10ks, requiring QWCs and MDWCs, and big gaps in his schedule, the conclusion seems fairly evident. He clearly loved last week's DC team atmosphere, the crowd support and the professional back-up available, and revelled in it all. But unless you are at the very top of the game, with a large support team like Andy's, the life of an up and coming player would be everything Dan would appear to dislike or even dread.......lonely vigils spent country and city hopping, limited amounts of contact with friends and family, tiny crowds mostly indifferent to foreign players, basic levels of coaching and professional support, very strict on-the-road regimes, dull paperwork at each tournament. Seems that he loves tennis, but simply can't embrace the "life" that his sport requires at the next level. Very honest: not sure how he breaks through a barrier like this........

I wonder if the LTA (if they don't do this already) couldn't encourage him to "link up" semi-permanently with 1 or 2 other players with big potential for 12 months, with a commitment to play the same tournament schedules on predominantly the Challenger tour and beyond.......James/Ed (where hard courts and grass are also their best surfaces) or even Oli/Kyle if they step up hopefully......create that team spirit, and foster healthy competition. Whatever it takes to get him to travel!

-- Edited by korriban on Monday 8th of April 2013 08:41:33 AM

Bob · Social player

RJA wrote:
HossTheBoss wrote:
Well done Dan ,differant class .
Wonder if the lta will give you a coach now.
Why should the LTA provide a coach for someone whose problems are mostly of his own making, who hasn't had the ambition to travel overseas once in the past year (I don't count Dublin), who is so unprofessional that he repeatedly fails to enter tournaments and them turns up requesting a wild card (either for MD or qualies) and who also time and time again fails to find to the motivation to beat players that he should. If Dan can't find it in himself to maximise the potential why should the LTA throw more money at him?

At this point point regular forum members will probably have guessed that I am playing devil's advocate. What I would like to see happen is for Leon Smith, who obviously gets Dan's mentality, to sit down with him and discuss his future. Yes the LTA can provide a coach, yes they can give him MD wild cards for Queens, Eastbourne and Wimbledon, yes they can pay his travel expenses, but what they can't do is make Dan really want it, and I mean really want it. That means the willingness to go to some god forsaken place, staying in a crap hotel and playing in front of one man and dog and being willing to dig out a result when things aren't going well. 3,000 miles away from family and friends for weeks on end, no TV cameras, no reporters, no adulation, no glory, just beating a few journeyman with half his natural ability. If Dan is willing to do that then I hope the LTA do everything possible to help him, if he isn't they shouldn't give him a penny. So if I was Leon I would talk to him and be willing to back him to the hilt, but I would make it clear, the ball is his court, it is up to him. Time to make a choice Dan, as a brash teenager you said you would quit after about 5 years if you couldn't make something of yourself, so make it happen or don't, the choice is yours, but please stop teasing us with glimpses of what could be.

-- Edited by RJA on Sunday 7th of April 2013 11:28:34 PM

For too long the LTA have tried the heavy handed approach with Dan by kicking him whilst he's down instead of focusing on the positives and coaching him out of the negatives. It amazed me that after his previous heroics in the Davis Cup he wasnt even granted a WC into Wimbledom qualies, let alone the main draw. I hope this time the LTA realise that whilst he has some motivational and commitment flaws, he has more natural ability than any of our other players and he should be supported, not hung out to dry like he has been previously.

RJA · Hall of fame

Spectator wrote:
RJA wrote:
Spectator wrote:
Perhaps it would be a good idea somewhat to depersonalise the whole thing? I do think Mr Evans and Mr Ward both should get WCs to the summer events, simply on the grounds that if you ask anyone -- whoever it might be -- to play for the country, and they do so brilliantly, they should receive some appropriate thanks. WCs seem like appropriate thanks, and giving them to Mr Evans and Mr Ward seems like the only decent thing to do. Not able to comment on the larger context of what the LTA's approach to Mr Evans should be.
Well yes I do agree but is there not something to be gained from not promising the earth unless the people in question meet certain criteria? You know, something of an incentive for the next couple of months?
In my opinion, I wouldn't try to use it as an incentive, no. That's part of what I mean by de-personalising. I don't see it as a reward for progress in people's individual careers (in which case I think the LTA should just stick to whatever guidelines they have), but as a matter of simple fairness to people whom the national body has asked to do something on behalf of the country and who have responded by doing what was asked (and doing it very well indeed). I wouldn't therefore tie any further obligations to it. Equally if a lower-ranked player were suddenly to go out and reach an ATP QF, but was still ranked below 250, I wouldn't necessarily favour breaking the guidelines. (Though, like others, I do think there should be provision for people who are outside the guidelines because of an injury time-out)
For the record, I would also favour some benefit to Mr Baker, on the grounds that he was prepared to be in his country's service and made sacrifices to fulfil his obligation, whether or not in the end he was taken up.

I am more than happy for the LTA to reward Davis cup success with a Wimbledon wild card. What I don't want to see is them going overboard and giving a player everything they could possibly ask for based on one Davis Cup tie. It would seem perfectly reasonable to say that the Wimbledon wild card is reward for what you have done and that while other things (Queens or Eastbourne wild cards, funding for a coach, or what ever else) is conditional on the player in question meeting certain criteria.

EDIT: Completely agree with regards to Jamie Baker. Things working out this well for the team does not mean that what happened to him is okay.

-- Edited by RJA on Monday 8th of April 2013 03:44:45 PM