Davis Cup 2014 - World Group Round 1 - 31 Jan-2 Feb - USA v GB

TMH · Futures qualifying

Davis Cup 2014 - World Group Round 1 - 31 Jan-2 Feb - USA v GB

daisy · County player

British team announced:
Andy Murray, James Ward, Kyle Edmund, Colin Fleming. Reserve: Dom Inglot.

According to Mike Dickson (DailyMail) on twitter Mike Dickson @Mike_Dickson_DM 3m :

It appears that Evans' omission due to combination of surface and him declining to play a tournament this week.

Make of that what you will folks.

-- Edited by daisy on Tuesday 21st of January 2014 10:26:48 AM

RJA · Hall of fame

Obvious team really. No way was Evans going to get picked after pulling out of Maui against Smith's wishes and for somewhat unconvincing reasons. I am guessing that Kyle will play singles on the first day but James may well play the 5th rubber if it is 2-2.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I confess I'm a little worried about the idea of putting a Futures level player, however good, up against the likes of Isner. I hope a possible heavy defeat doesn't affect Kyle's confidence (if he gets the nod ahead of James, of course).

RJA · Hall of fame

Madeline wrote:
I confess I'm a little worried about the idea of putting a Futures level player, however good, up against the likes of Isner. I hope a possible heavy defeat doesn't affect Kyle's confidence (if he gets the nod ahead of James, of course).

This was the kind of thing I was talking about in the entries thread the other day when I said I fear that some people seem to want to push Kyle too fast rather than let him develop at his own pace.

paulisi · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
American team has been announced. Isner, Querrey and the Bryans. Quelle surprise.

Apparently the British announcement at 10am GMT tomorrow.

I assume Isner's foot injury is now no longer an issue

RJA · Hall of fame

paulisi wrote:
wolf wrote:
American team has been announced. Isner, Querrey and the Bryans. Quelle surprise.

Apparently the British announcement at 10am GMT tomorrow.
I assume Isner's foot injury is now no longer an issue

I don't think it was ever that serious. He retired in the Aussie Open when he was down two sets to love in 40 degree heat. In other circumstances he may well have played on.

seagull · Hall of fame

BBC 3 showing the tie :)

spud · Challenger qualifying

I feel Ward is still a better player than Edmund and has had success in DC (which you could argue actually got us here in the first place). I think he should play both singles rubbers

indiana · Tennis legend

If James can show some decent forrm this week, I would certainly have thought he should be up for both singles matches ( even if he doesn't, putting Kyle in is a big call ).

Kyle seems pretty strong mentally, but I don't see it as a great idea to play him against Isner, and then if he gets beaten ( possibly thumped ) by Isner, replace him with James ( who would have been denied important match time on the court ) for a possibly decisive 5th tie.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Ward might be a better player (although his consistency is a huge question mark) but I seriously don't think he has any chance whatsoever of actually winning his tie. On a hard court, in the UK, maybe. But on clay in the US? No chance.

Kyle might also have a very minimal chance but he's a bit of a wild card given that he's barely played above Futures circuit.. although given his performances against De Schepper and Simon (on grass.. but arguably he's better on clay, or at least more experienced) it suggests that he might well be capable of going toe-to-toe with the Americans. Quite simply, no-one really knows quite what level he is at right now. I don't think we're going to win either way but at least with Kyle it gives us a slight possibility. At least in the first rubber.

Going to be a difficult decision either way if it is 2-2 with one rubber to play (which, if it goes with the odds, it would be), as that's a lot of pressure for whichever one has to play and never nice to be the one to lose a tie.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Madeline wrote:
I confess I'm a little worried about the idea of putting a Futures level player, however good, up against the likes of Isner. I hope a possible heavy defeat doesn't affect Kyle's confidence (if he gets the nod ahead of James, of course).

It's a risk but I don't think that youngsters suffer from confidence problems like that - i.e. I bet Coric barely gives a thought to the fact he was trounced by Andy; youngsters have an 'out', and excuse.

It's the older players who take the really close/bad losses to the grave (I don't think Paul-Henri Mathieu ever really recovered from his one).

I'm not saying Leon should play Kyle but I wouldn't worry about negative effects from a harsh loss (if there was one).

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Just spotted this on the BBC website

BBC Sport secures a three-year deal to broadcast all of Great Britains Davis Cup World Group matches until 2016

Guess we just have to hope that we can stay in the World Group.

RJA · Hall of fame

indiana wrote:
If James can show some decent forrm this week, I would certainly have thought he should be up for both singles matches ( even if he doesn't, putting Kyle in is a big call ).

Kyle seems pretty strong mentally, but I don't see it as a great idea to play him against Isner, and then if he gets beaten ( possibly thumped ) by Isner, replace him with James ( who would have been denied important match time on the court ) for a possibly decisive 5th tie.

The other side of the coin is that if you think James has the best chance of winning a live fifth rubber (which I do) you have to decide whether the benefits of game time against Isner outweigh the potential damage of a thrashing.

indiana · Tennis legend

Since when did James become incompetent on clay ??

OK, he may not be in great form ( and that is more of the issue ), but the guy has won a challenger event on US clay ( Sarasota in 2009 ). He's certainly comparatively more comfortable on the surface than most Brits.

Kyle has played a lot on clay with some amount of futures sucess ( although that is in part for experience and match practice rather than it's supremely his best surface ). But he is no obvious pick on a US clay court over James.