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

steven · Tennis legend

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

john · Top national player

Would Houston mean clay? Semm to remember ATP Houston is on clay, albeit the super fast green version.

steven · Tennis legend

Yes it would.

Tennisnow · Lower Club Player

It seems likely that the Americans would choose clay for Andy's weakness on the surface, even if this isn't Isner/Querrey's favourite surface.

spud · Challenger qualifying

Tennisnow wrote:
It seems likely that the Americans would choose clay for Andy's weakness on the surface, even if this isn't Isner/Querrey's favourite surface.

There would be no point of putting it on clay "as it's Andy's weaker surface" because that just wouldn't make any sense surely??

Andy would become more of a favourite to beat Querrey/Isner on clay and then they have also exposed both of them on their weaker surface to GB's number 2, not to mention it probably is also the Bryan's weakest surface.

I think they have to go for a pretty quick court and just hope to serve their way through the GB number 2

RJA · Hall of fame

spud wrote:
Tennisnow wrote:
It seems likely that the Americans would choose clay for Andy's weakness on the surface, even if this isn't Isner/Querrey's favourite surface.

There would be no point of putting it on clay "as it's Andy's weaker surface" because that just wouldn't make any sense surely??
Andy would become more of a favourite to beat Querrey/Isner on clay and then they have also exposed both of them on their weaker surface to GB's number 2, not to mention it probably is also the Bryan's weakest surface.
I think they have to go for a pretty quick court and just hope to serve their way through the GB number 2

Isner is actually pretty good on clay but Querrey isn't. I would say that both Evo and Ward would probably have a better chance against Querrey on clay than they would on hard

john · Top national player

Isner's serve bounces even higher on clay and becomes even more difficult to return.

Am I the only one that has a strong feeling that it's simply not the American way to choose a court based on their opponents weakness as opposed to their own strength. Just can't see them not having the ego to go ahead and back themselves to win on a court that suits their own players.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Let's just hope Andy is fit, if he's not all this irrevelant.

john · Top national player

philwrig wrote:
Let's just hope Andy is fit, if he's not all this irrevelant.

I remember last time we made the World Group, we were all discussing the permutations away to Argentina, and we ended up going there without Andy and without a chance

indiana · Tennis legend

I tend to agree with John that the Americans are quite likely just to think about "hey what suits our players ?"

I generally have great admiration for American positivity, but I think it can at times hinder proper strategic thinking.

eg. some Ryder Cup choices have arguably been more bravado than common sense.

Spectator · All-time great

As many have predicted: www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/sports/tennis/american-davis-cup-team-warms-to-clay-courts.html

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

No ones invinceable but as a pair the Bryan bros come close they have a huge 86% win ratio in 2013 compared to our highest ranked doubles player colin Fleming with 63% . I don't know the Bryan's Davies cup record but I bet it's huge

I would expect that the probability of the Bryan's winning particularly at home would certainly be as high as Andy murray's in the singles .

Our strategy against the USA must assume we will lose the doubles fixture .

In contrast against other nations we could do extremely well in the doubles where I think we Could be ranked as high as no2 or no3 as a nation for our doubles prowess

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Have to say that given Andy's recent injury problems, there must be a question mark over his availability. Even if he does make the Aus Open, will he want to then go straight into a DC tie, on the surface that has always been problematic for him injury wise.

He may well want to play the Aus Open (if fit) and then reassess how he survived his comeback.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

A1 tennis academy wrote:
No ones invinceable but as a pair the Bryan bros come close they have a huge 86% win ratio in 2013 compared to our highest ranked doubles player colin Fleming with 63% . I don't know the Bryan's Davies cup record but I bet it's huge

Strangely enough, if I remember correctly, someone mentioned that they had in fact LOST their last two DC matches. Don't ask me who against, although I am sure someone here will oblige with this info.

wolf · Tennis legend

They lost to Melo & Soares and Zimonjic & Bozoljac. But they had only ever lost 2 matches before that.