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

Spectator · All-time great

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

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
My only worry is the junior Mr Murray's health tomorrow. Others have mentioned that it looked as if he had some physical issues, and it appeared to me as if Mr Murray senior was covering a lot of court on his behalf at times (that must be one of the best matches I've seen Mr Murray senior play - just gorgeous stuff in there). Mr Murray junior didn't sound very positive about tomorrow in the on-court interview, either ... though that could be just temporary exhaustion.

He will be fine. He always looks like he is carrying some kind of niggle but once he is on court, it disappears.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

TMH wrote:
Murrays win it 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4!

Just managed to catch the Eurosport highlights without knowing the outcome

Wonderful result (with some truly outstanding rallying on both sides of the net); fantastic crowd atmosphere biggrin biggrin biggrin

Here's hoping Andy's able to recover in time...good job Friday's assignment was so brief smile

john · Top national player

Today's Andrew Castle, errm, highight was something along the lines of "I'm so glad that Jamie hit the shot that won the match. Bless him. Bless him...."

Could he be any more condescending if he tried??

wolf · Tennis legend

The way Andy destroyed Groth's serve was just ridiculous.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

It was great to see, and illustrated the gulf in class between the two at singles level.

Jamie was very impressive, on a number of occasions after a fantastic shot from Andy, I looked again to find it was Jamie. Andrew Castle is primarily light entertainment so he can't help himself with the inane pseudo sentimental backstory observations although Jamie's success must in part be due to having Andy constantly grinding away in the back ground after every prize in tennis. Naomi's observations yesterday in her interview were fascinating again revealing his positive use of social media, overtly taking time to support and motivate his UK tennis colleagues, indeed he has the back of some younger players who aren't.

That said I know how Jamie feels, despite being keen enthusiastic and competitive it's difficult when your not the best tennis player in your own family ( having regularly been hammered by my younger sister (5 yrs younger) as soon as she turned 13. There is a silver lining for him that there is no question he is an elite doubles player and it is our good fortune that we have an elite singles player who just happens to be his brother.

They know each other's games probably better than Jamie knows that of his regular partner so it pans out as an elite doubles pairing. In a way it was a shame we didn't see the Murray brothers v the Bryan's in a fraternal world championship when we played the U.S. Unrealistic I know as Andy preservation has to be part of the agenda.

savva0122 · Intermediate Club Player

And over to the singles. If Hewitt's recovered, can see him getting the nod later

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, ruddy annoying James beating Isner, has kind of robbed the chance of two brothers / Dunblane effectively winning the Davis Cup ( OK, maybe had more back-up than Dunblane could have done on its own

)

Of course, thankful to James, since the US were the draw you didn't want with your best general hope being two wins from Andy and winning the doubles. And he came up trumps against them both this year and last.

So probably better that James won than never knowing re that doubles

Still ..

indiana · Tennis legend

savva0122 wrote:
And over to the singles. If Hewitt's recovered, can see him getting the nod later

Surely for the hopefully no longer mattering ( and maybe not even played ) 5th rubber.

They wouldn't chuck him in against Andy would they ?! ( it has vaguely crossed my mind ) since that would take Tomic totally out of the day's equation. But they have got recent form regarding all change.

EddietheEagle · County player

Excellent captaincy by Leon Smith. Two good decisions in playing Evans then Andy Murray in the doubles. Tomic is now nicely half lame and Murray will kill whoever he plays. Then he can tonk a ball up Andrew Castle's throat, John Lloyd's too for that matter.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
savva0122 wrote:
And over to the singles. If Hewitt's recovered, can see him getting the nod later

Surely for the hopefully no longer mattering ( and maybe not even played ) 5th rubber.
They wouldn't chuck him in against Andy would they ?! ( it has vaguely crossed my mind ) since that would take Tomic totally out of the day's equation. But they have got recent form regarding all change.

lleyton against Andy would make some sense. Tomic hardly covered himself with glory against Dan.

But they can't do that, can they? I mean, don't they have to follow rankings? i.e. As Lleyton is their lowest ranked player, if Tomic 'couldn't' play, wouldn't the number two now have to be the number one and Lleyton would be the number two?

Although that doesn't make sense, because then you'd get (in theory) Kokki playing Andy yet again...

So,, having talked myself round, presumably you can replace whoever with whomever for the second day..... ???

Need RJA and his rule book.....

Kounosuke · Intermediate Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
indiana wrote:
savva0122 wrote:
And over to the singles. If Hewitt's recovered, can see him getting the nod later

Surely for the hopefully no longer mattering ( and maybe not even played ) 5th rubber.
They wouldn't chuck him in against Andy would they ?! ( it has vaguely crossed my mind ) since that would take Tomic totally out of the day's equation. But they have got recent form regarding all change.

lleyton against Andy would make some sense. Tomic hardly covered himself with glory against Dan.
But they can't do that, can they? I mean, don't they have to follow rankings? i.e. As Lleyton is their lowest ranked player, if Tomic 'couldn't' play, wouldn't the number two now have to be the number one and Lleyton would be the number two?
Although that doesn't make sense, because then you'd get (in theory) Kokki playing Andy yet again...
So,, having talked myself round, presumably you can replace whoever with whomever for the second day..... ???
Need RJA and his rule book.....

I've taken a look through the rule book, and it says that any substitutes for the 3rd and 4th singles matches can't have played in the 1st or 2nd singles matches, so they could put Lleyton against Andy for example, but then Tomic can't replace Kokkinakis for the other match.

-- Edited by Kounosuke on Sunday 20th of September 2015 09:40:11 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Thanks, K.

So that means you could have the Aussie number 2 (or number 4 in this case) playing as their number 1 in the final day?

Kounosuke · Intermediate Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
Thanks, K.

So that means you could have the Aussie number 2 (or number 4 in this case) playing as their number 1 in the final day?

If the player didn't play singles on day 1, then yes.

steven · Tennis legend

It will be Andy v Tomic.

Andy Murray WR 3 v Bernard Tomic (AUS) WR 23 (=CH)

H2H 2-0, both on hard courts - Brisbane 2012 3&2 and Miami 2013 3&1

There's been some talk on Twitter of Andy never having lost a Davis Cup singles rubber on a hard court, but he's not the only player in the match with that record. Their Davis Cup singles records are:

Murray: 24-2 overall, 10-0 on hard
Tomic: 15-2 overall, 8-0 on hard

Tomic is trying to become the first Aussie to beat Andy for just over 10 years - since Paul Baccanello upset him in the QFs at the Vancouver Challenger in 2005. Andy is 15-0 against Aussies in singles since then, including this year's Hopman Cup and Friday's win against Kokkinakis.

I'm quite surprised (but happy) that Argentina are 2-1 up against Belgium (the first time I've ever wanted Argentina to win anything, I think!), however it's almost certain to come down to the 5th rubber and the Belgian players are favourites in both singles rubbers today.