Davis Cup 2015 - World Group Semi-Final - 18th-20th September

savva0122 · Intermediate Club Player

RE: Davis Cup 2015 - World Group Semi-Final - 18th-20th September

Spectator · All-time great

Apparently the French were so horrified by their loss to GB that they are doing an enquiry into Clément's captaincy; the DC team's functioning etc: theyellowballcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/mahut-les-joueurs-doivent-etre-au.html

One has to wonder whether this is a wholly productive exercise. Giving people a little space to reflect and learn (as Mahut suggests the players are doing) might be an idea? It's not as if any of the losses was something that couldn't have been anticipated.

-- Edited by Spectator on Thursday 10th of September 2015 04:54:20 AM

Priesty · Challenger level

While I'm not sure Kedders is ready for a D Cup semi yet it's certainly hard to imagine Wardy doing any better at the moment. Like BiS I think I'd be tempted to go with Evo first!

-- Edited by Priesty on Thursday 10th of September 2015 06:00:49 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

The doubles is certainly an interesting one now.

There were thoughts that Andy's relatively early exit from the US Open would make his participation in the doubles more likely and all things being equal that is probably true.

Now though we have both Dom and Jamie clearly playing well and with their respective partners in the US Open semi finals and who knows where finally ...

I am not one who though believes in any performances necessarily "deserve" to get folk in the team. It should still be a level headed look at what team is most likely to get the win and in doubles of course the combination is very important.

The real thing to try and work out if it is a 1-1 after the first day ( 2-0 to us, no brainer, Jamie & Dom play ) is what doubles selection is most likely to end up with 2 wins from the doubles and Andy's reverse singles and there will be quite a number of factors to weigh in that - how our guys are feeling and playing, the likely Aussie selections, how the Aussies look.

Of course, if you judge Dom and Jamie to be a better purely doubles bet than Andy and Jamie, then they clearly should play. But where you think Andy is a better purely doubles option the balancing needs considered.

Personally I think Andy is still the better purely doubles option, but it is probably close enough with Dom playing well enough that to me the overall current best looking option is Dom and Jamie for the doubles.

I got there But I could change ...

I do also think that one consequence of our doubles guys' form is we are now virtually certain to go with the two double specialists in our team of four, making the second singles selection even more important, there being effectively no switching for the reverse singles ( if Dom comes into consideration for that, sorry Dom, but it would be concerning ).

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 10th of September 2015 11:18:06 AM

Vandenburg · Futures level

Another reason, why I would pick Evo, imagine the points he could get by winning one singles match here? About 70 points for a win??

indiana · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
Another reason, why I would pick Evo, imagine the points he could get by winning one singles match here? About 70 points for a win??

Yes, but Kyle and James would get big ranking points too for winning a live rubber and it's rather more about who's most likely to win anyway confuse

For general info on the ranking points, it appears that Andy and James would get 70 points for each live singles rubber won and Kyle and Evo would get 65 since they were not in the four man team in the immediately preceding round ( and so get the points available in that round ).

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 10th of September 2015 12:34:07 PM

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

I think Kyle or Evo would be a good call. Personally of the two, I'd prefer Kyle. Putting Ward in there on current form would be more of a hope and a prayer. A move for the romantics who believe there is a tennis God upstairs writing out the script for the GB team. Kyle is of age and level headed and playing better than James.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I'd make the decision after watching the practice sessions next week, observing their body language, and discussing it with them and other coaches. Everyone's down on Wardy, but I'm a big horses for courses fan, and I was there live in the arena when Wardy beat Isner. If this was R1 and we were in a similar situation I would 100% go with Kyle, but it's a semi so it makes it much more tougher to choose. As for Evo, I suspect he's made his run a little bit late, eventhough I have no doubt he would also give a very good account of himself.

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

philwrig wrote:
I'd make the decision after watching the practice sessions next week, observing their body language, and discussing it with them and other coaches.

Probably the best way.

Also agree with BiS that Evo beating Tomic before could play a factor in selection

spud · Challenger qualifying

The fact that Edmund is yet to win a big ATP tour level match and that Evans has beaten Tomic is huge...

Wouldn't be surprised if Leon has already asked Dan on whether he feels he's playing good enough tennis to beat the Australian guys.

I'd definitely be going with Evans and I think Leon might do it

spud · Challenger qualifying

But agree that hitting practice with the 3 of them next week in front of Leon will tell him all he needs to know

Interestingly... Does anyone know the speed of the court being put down? This could also factor into the decision on picking the second singles player i.e whether it is low bouncing suiting Dans slice

indiana · Tennis legend

Something of not too much ( because the main issue, although worrying, is not the James Ward of St Remy earlier this week, but the possible James Ward of Glasgow next week and players in general can be pretty different from day to day, week to week anyway ), but :

To me not particularly unexpectedly, Quentin Halys beat Ilya Ivaska, James' comfortable conquerer, 6-4 7-6 (1) in R2 in St Remy.

Quentin Halys, of course, beat Evo 6-1 6-7(5) 7-5 in the Roehampton final.

I guess the issue remains though re these two that there is a fair amount of evidence Evo is playing pretty well and would probably at least give a decent account of himself in Glasgow ( how late his run is matters not really as compared to how well he is currently playing ), and there is a fair amount of evidence that James is not playing well.

Absolutely agree though, especially given James past record, it is a question of observing and discussing with the coaches and players themselves re Kyle, James and Evo ( if he is in Glasgow and at all in the equation ) in addition to considering form and experience.

Kyle, by the way, I would certainly expect to beat Quentin Halys, maybe with some comfort. The only real thing against him, and it is a point maybe a big one, is him having less big occasion experience and big wins.

Kyle : the best player on form, lacking big time ( and good ) experience

James : big time ( and good experience, out of form

Evo, in decent form, if less than Kyle, and has big time ( and good ) experience, if less than James.

Perhaps a little crazily, Evo seems to me possibly the one with the least current question marks.

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 10th of September 2015 05:17:10 PM

EddietheEagle · County player

Spectator wrote:
The thing that makes this a bit more uncertain than it otherwise might be is that this is Lleyton Hewitt's last chance to win the DC. . . . . .

Hewitt's already played in two winning Australian D.C. teams.

What surprises me is John Peers' omission from the team. What's he done wrong? At least one Australian source agrees:-

http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2015/09/08/want-davis-cup-lleytons-got-go/

Oakland2002 · All-time great

It's Kyles time, realistically to win the tie Andy needs to win all three games he plays.

Evo is in great form but I still think Kyle would beat him. Wardy has done a great job to get us to the semi but was a spectator against the French and his form is such that if picked he is unlikely to contribute.

Kyle has spent the last couple of years preparing for this, time to cut the cord and let him have a crack with fantastic support, he will feel pressure but as a realist I don't see there is any, a win will only lighten Andys load I don't think it will impact the outcome. But there again I thought Anderson was Andys rabbit.

indiana · Tennis legend

EddietheEagle wrote:
Spectator wrote:
The thing that makes this a bit more uncertain than it otherwise might be is that this is Lleyton Hewitt's last chance to win the DC. . . . . .
Hewitt's already played in two winning Australian D.C. teams.
What surprises me is John Peers' omission from the team. What's he done wrong? At least one Australian source agrees:-
http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2015/09/08/want-davis-cup-lleytons-got-go/

Yes, as I have mentioned more than once ( as I sometimes do ) I find the omission of John Peers very strange. That he doesn't seem to have been even in the equation, stranger still.