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

RJA · Hall of fame

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

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

I reckon Dino's chances of playing are fast disappearing: as well as losing in straight sets to the sixth seed, Denis Kudla, in the Maui Challenger, he & Malek Jaziri have been replaced by lucky losers in the doubles draw & according to the draw sheet, James has some kind of shoulder problem. cry

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
I reckon Dino's chances of playing are fast disappearing: as well as losing in straight sets to the sixth seed, Denis Kudla, in the Maui Challenger, he & Malek Jaziri have been replaced by lucky losers in the doubles draw & according to the draw sheet, James has some kind of shoulder problem.

Come back Evo, all is forgiven biggrin

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

So, if no Evo or Dino, who would you pick as GB's third singles player? i.e. either reserve for Kyle or even replacement for Kyle ?

paulisi · Tennis legend

Dan Cox would be the obvious selection

Spectator · All-time great

I'm now going to float a heretical suggestion ... but.

Tweets reporting that Mr Murray not at all happy about switch to clay for DC. I know that playing for one's country is important - but what does GB tennis most good is a fit Andy Murray, not one who is beset with issues because his rehab hasn't gone well. So I would bring Mr Inglot in, pull Mr Murray out of the doubles, and have Mr Inglot as the potential second singles ...

And that's at the very least. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what is accomplished for GB tennis if Mr Murray is affected negatively by the DC tie.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
I'm now going to float a heretical suggestion ... but.

Tweets reporting that Mr Murray not at all happy about switch to clay for DC. I know that playing for one's country is important - but what does GB tennis most good is a fit Andy Murray, not one who is beset with issues because his rehab hasn't gone well. So I would bring Mr Inglot in, pull Mr Murray out of the doubles, and have Mr Inglot as the potential second singles ...

And that's at the very least. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what is accomplished for GB tennis if Mr Murray is affected negatively by the DC tie.

It's a fair point.

I'd been wondering about it from a slightly different point of view i.e. if Andy is not feeling 100% (no idea post his Rog-match but he may well not be) and, without, Dan Evans, he feels that there's not much chance, would he even want to go? Andy, not unfairly, has not prioritised Davis Cup above everything else in the past.

RJA · Hall of fame

Spectator wrote:
I'm now going to float a heretical suggestion ... but.

Tweets reporting that Mr Murray not at all happy about switch to clay for DC. I know that playing for one's country is important - but what does GB tennis most good is a fit Andy Murray, not one who is beset with issues because his rehab hasn't gone well. So I would bring Mr Inglot in, pull Mr Murray out of the doubles, and have Mr Inglot as the potential second singles ...

And that's at the very least. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what is accomplished for GB tennis if Mr Murray is affected negatively by the DC tie.

To be honest I think the choice is Andy plays 3 rubbers or none at all as if he decides to play the tie he will give it his all.

RJA · Hall of fame

Bob in Spain wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
I reckon Dino's chances of playing are fast disappearing: as well as losing in straight sets to the sixth seed, Denis Kudla, in the Maui Challenger, he & Malek Jaziri have been replaced by lucky losers in the doubles draw & according to the draw sheet, James has some kind of shoulder problem.
Come back Evo, all is forgiven

I don't think there is anyway Leon Smith could accept the humiliation of having to call up Evo only a few days after dropping him, especially in the circumstances that led to that decision.

spud · Challenger qualifying

Would love to see Dom Inglot take Querrey in a 5th decisive rubber

spud · Challenger qualifying

But seriously if Ward and Murray are both out injured, our team is then Edmund, Dom and Colin which maybe one of the weakest teams in the history of World Group Davis Cup. Is it too late to fly someone else out if that is the case?

RJA · Hall of fame

spud wrote:
But seriously if Ward and Murray are both out injured, our team is then Edmund, Dom and Colin which maybe one of the weakest teams in the history of World Group Davis Cup. Is it too late to fly someone else out if that is the case?

The team announced this week was merely provisional. Changes can be still be made.

spud · Challenger qualifying

Smethurst the in form player over the last few months, even if he is ranked quite low at the moment... and plays often on clay.

Spectator · All-time great

Ward, of course, may have withdrawn from the doubles as a precautionary measure rather than because he is suffering from a serious injury.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
I'm now going to float a heretical suggestion ... but.

Tweets reporting that Mr Murray not at all happy about switch to clay for DC. I know that playing for one's country is important - but what does GB tennis most good is a fit Andy Murray, not one who is beset with issues because his rehab hasn't gone well. So I would bring Mr Inglot in, pull Mr Murray out of the doubles, and have Mr Inglot as the potential second singles ...

And that's at the very least. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what is accomplished for GB tennis if Mr Murray is affected negatively by the DC tie.

Andy will play singles and doubles. No doubt in my mind about that. Can you imagine how he would feel if he worked hard to win both singles matches and then sat out the doubles and we lost. He would consider all his efforts wasted. What's more, he would be thinking, "if only I had played the doubles ......".

Colin and Dom are excellent players but would be a scratch pairing. Andy and Colin have obviously played before. So I agree with RJA. Andy plays 3 rubbers or none at all. And as he has already given his commitment to Leon, I don't see him pulling out now - unless injured, of course.

James Ward is a more interesting one. Has he got a shoulder injury and if so, how serious is it, or did he pull out as he had lost in singles and wanted more time to prepare for DC. If the shoulder is slightly dodgy, it makes all the more sense to pick Kyle for match against Isner, to save James the risk of aggravating his injury before what could well be a 5th and deciding rubber against Querrey.

The plot thickens smile