Davis Cup Semis and Play Offs + Final

nickw811 · Social player

Davis Cup Semis and Play Offs + Final

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Congrats, obviously, to France.

The main thing (as far as I'm concerned) is that this will be a monkey off their back and they won't be so obsessed about it now. Now they can go back to obsession number 2, i.e. finding a male Roland Garros winner.

But, seriously, obviously it's great. France is delighted. BNP Paribas and the FFT, in conjunction, are giving free FFT licences to all players age 10 and under. (Adult licences are 27 euros, not sure for kids, probably about 15). There will be big events at all the clubs, lots of hype, and sponsorship, it's all good.

And it's good they've done it now because there is a very serious concern - not unsurprisingly - about the state of male tennis. The numbers look really healthy (6 men in the top 50, 10 in the top 100, etc. etc.).
But the age profile is really worrying - nearly all are over the 27 year-old 'peak' age. And not many replacements waiting in the wings. There's a new big push to target elite youngsters to tackle this issue (but there's been 'new big pushes' every couple of years....)

Anyway, congrats to them again. And to Belgium too. Decent final.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 27th of November 2017 10:06:02 AM

JonH · All-time great

Yes. Well done France and Noah was also vindicated I think.

DC final is always great, pretty much - Argentina v Croatia last year, Gb v Belgium year before. Good reason not to tinker with the format.

Hope Belgium find a way to win one year, probably needs another great player to put alongside goffin, in reality he was the player of the final

indiana · Tennis legend

Well done indeed to France and great that some French players ( which as pointed out earlier should include title awards for earlier round players such as Mahut ) have finally achieved this, and as CD points out probably rather timely.

I remain less than convinced about Noah's tactics, but at least they didn't contrive to lose a match that they were always favourites to win.

Super couple of weeks work from Goffin though.

Spectator · All-time great

Well done to France, and well done to both teams. Goffin was amazing. And Darcis should remember - though a terrible final will hurt - that the team would never have been there had he not vanquished both Kohlschreiber and Sascha Zverev in the first round. The same goes for Bemelmans, who with de Loore beat both Zverevs. That tie remains, in some ways, the most remarkable of the whole campaign. As the French commentators pointed out, Darcis had more top 40 wins in that match than the entire French team did in the whole campaign. On the tactics, I'm not sure there's any justification, as I feel quite certain Mahut and Herbert or Mahut and Benneteau would have had the same doubles result ... and they didn't need to play Gasquet in singles. But they couldn't have known that Darcis would have such a dreadful weekend, so ...

So hurrah for France, because it was good to see players who cared so deeply win their DC, especially when (as for Benneteau: https://sport.francetvinfo.fr/tennis/coupe-davis/julien-benneteau-cest-un-reve-denfant-419483 ) it was their last shot. Hurrah for Belgium, a team that fought hard and was united and lovely in victory and defeat (this is the interview with their captain - devastated but very sensible: http://www.tennisactu.net/news-coupe-davis-van-herck-bien-sur-qu-on-a-des-regrets-72236.html) Hurrah for Lucas Pouille, who won on a big stage and seems a really decent sort. And hurrah for David Goffin, whom everyone recognised as the player of the tournament.

And let's hope that the ITF bods who were there and saw the passion of that final begin to understand just why DC - and the home/away format - is so wonderful.

-- Edited by Spectator on Monday 27th of November 2017 08:32:12 PM

JonH · All-time great

Just realised this thread has no year on it so can resurrect for the Davis Cup semis this weekend.

France go up against a Spain side without rafa. In Lille (which may host the new world cup style event next year) the teams are

France - Pouille, Gasquet, paire, Benneteau, Mahut

Spain - Carreno Busta , Bautista Agut, Ramos Vinolas, granollers, f. Lopez

At home, France must be slight favourites to win

The other tie is Croatia v USA on clay. C

Croatia field - cilic, Coric, Skugor, Pavic and Dodig. A strong team.

USA have - Johnson, tiafoe, Querrey, Ryan Harrison and Mike Bryan. With Sock pulling out today, Croatia are for me heavy favourites to win this tie.

Going for a Croatia v France final. Which would be held in France. Indeed a Spain v Croatia final would be in Spain. USA would play any final at home.

As an aside I noticed last France v USA match was held at monte Carlo country club in 2012. As that is in Monaco, or I assumed it was, it surprised me.

JonH · All-time great

In Croatia v USA, Coric plays Johnson first up, then Cilic v Tiafoe. Got to think Johnson somehow beating Coric is critical to the US chances overall

JonH · All-time great

In France Spain tie, it is Paire v Carreno Busta, and then Pouille v Bautista Agut

JonH · All-time great

JonH wrote:
In Croatia v USA, Coric plays Johnson first up, then Cilic v Tiafoe. Got to think Johnson somehow beating Coric is critical to the US chances overall

Coric and Cilic both win easily in straight sets and give Croatia a 2-0 lead, hard to see them losing this now

JonH · All-time great

JonH wrote:
In France Spain tie, it is Paire v Carreno Busta, and then Pouille v Bautista Agut

Paire wins the opener in straight sets v PCB;

-- Edited by JonH on Friday 14th of September 2018 03:18:48 PM

JonH · All-time great

And France also make it 2-0 as Pouille wins a 5 setter. Looking like a France V Croatia final is going to happen.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
And France also make it 2-0 as Pouille wins a 5 setter. Looking like a France V Croatia final is going to happen.

Would of course be a World Cup Final repeat. Chance for some measure of Croatia revenge.

JonH · All-time great

indiana wrote:
JonH wrote:
And France also make it 2-0 as Pouille wins a 5 setter. Looking like a France V Croatia final is going to happen.
Would of course be a World Cup Final repeat. Chance for some measure of Croatia revenge.

of course, forgot that - I would fancy Croatia to be fair!

JonH · All-time great

France get what turned out to be a very comfortable win over a slightly sorry Spanish team, 3-0.

There might be lots of teeth nashing in France about the quality of their players, but they seem to be able to pull out these DC finals pretty often!

Croatia 2 sets to one up in doubles, heading to a final with France. I imagine France will choose Lille again, and would be amazed if with the FFT voting for the new DC format, they werent rewarded with Lille being selected for the new finals next year - it is large enough as an arena, got 28,000 last year on a single day and presumably as it is a football stadium they can put several courts down and play the event with comfort?

JonH · All-time great

USA came back and took the doubles - hats off to Mike Bryan. Whether it is brother Bob, and 16 slams, Jack Sock and two slams or Ryan Harrison and an away from home epic doubles rubber win, the guy delivers time and time again. Kudos.

I'd love to see him partner a Brit one day!