Davis Cup Final 2018

JonH · All-time great

Davis Cup Final 2018

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Just a shame this is not on UK TV, or at least on a free online service like the BBC, disgrace really. It'll be on the usual streaming sites but it's stuff like this that makes me not mind the new format - you'd think someone would snap up the rights for that, with it being week long and GB involved.

flamingowings · All-time great

Tsonga isn't well apparently.

indiana · Tennis legend

Be great to see Croatia win and yes it would be sweet revenge for the World Cup Final.

Great sporting efforts by a nation of just over 4 million - ie less than Scotland.

Though of course they lost out to England in the Nations League, that new treasured superb conpetion

Whereas Scotland tonight are on the march to Nations League Group C1 triumph and a place in the Group C play-offs - I was saying that more in gallows humour as the score was Scotland 0 Israel 1 but somehow I see we are now leading 2-1 at HT. Here we go, here we go

JonH · All-time great

Heh, Scotland are in euro 2020 playoffs now, guaranteed! Don't knock it!

JonH · All-time great

3-2 final score

JonH · All-time great

And England will win the nations league finishing 53 years of hurt!

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
Heh, Scotland are in euro 2020 playoffs now, guaranteed! Don't knock it!

The line up here is that we now have two ways not to qualify for a tournament finals.

But then maybe we'll sail through normal qualifying and not even need the golden ticket / safety net ...

seagull · Hall of fame

Have to say I think the Nations league has been a great success. Competitive matches against teams of a similar standard, every game seemed to matter, and even Scotland won something! (despite the best efforts of agent Kayal)

JonH · All-time great

Agreed, normal friendlies had become meaningless and these have definitely worked.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, seriously for these that didn't understand every facet from the off ( ie no doubt the vast majority ) it has seemed better with each little additional detail that emerges eg. effects seeding pots for the Euro qualifying draw - Germany down to Pot 2, Scotland up to Pot 3 ( watch for England, Germany & Scotland in the sane group! )

Very much better than friendlies.

Maybe more interesting than the Davis Cup

seagull · Hall of fame

indiana wrote:
Yes, seriously for these that didn't understand every facet from the off ( ie no doubt the vast majority ) it has seemed better with each little additional detail that emerges eg. effects seeding pots for the Euro qualifying draw - Germany down to Pot 2, Scotland up to Pot 3 ( watch for England, Germany & Scotland in the sane group! )

Very much better than friendlies.

Maybe more interesting than the Davis Cup

Actually England/Germany/Scotland can't all be in same group (Only max of 2 hosts can be in one group)

indiana · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
indiana wrote:
Yes, seriously for these that didn't understand every facet from the off ( ie no doubt the vast majority ) it has seemed better with each little additional detail that emerges eg. effects seeding pots for the Euro qualifying draw - Germany down to Pot 2, Scotland up to Pot 3 ( watch for England, Germany & Scotland in the sane group! )

Very much better than friendlies.

Maybe more interesting than the Davis Cup
Actually England/Germany/Scotland can't all be in same group (Only max of 2 hosts can be in one group)

Ah yes, I now recall that being in a list of limitations on the draw, including such as the now normal no Russia and Ukraine together.

JonH · All-time great

Interesting mix up for France in singles pairings

Londons own jeremy chardy opens versus borna Coric. But then marin cilic is up against jo Tsonga rather than Pouille. V interesting.

Chardy has a 2-1 win loss head to head over Coric but cilic has a 5-2 record against jo-wilfried.

Really intrigued - presumably they fancied chardy going against Coric and then Pouille replaces Tsonga on day 3 and also takes on Coric. I'm assuming that's the tactic, try and exploit his relative inexperience in the 28000 crowded cauldron

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

little asides:

They've have a group of youngsters (and a couple of adults) playing on the court from 10 p.m. till 4 a.m. last night and the night before.

A new clay court needs to be played on to knock out little imperfections and to 'entasse' it (squash it down and firm it up).

Mahut, on the other hand, is making all the journalists disinfect their microphones before he takes them, and disinfect practically anything and everything else that comes near to him (he's a bit germ-phobic.....).