Yes, Group F could be a 1/1/1 win group to help provide the mathematicians with some of the work that the daft format so invites.
Please let this happen as it's what it deserves!
In every single Group, and so that the 2nd place best teams becomes almost impossible to separate!!!
They will, of course, inevitably have 6 teams tied on 1/1 in 2nd place in each group. The groups can only be 1/1/1 or 2/1/0, so every 2nd place team will be on 1 win. So those poor mathematicians that Indiana is worried about will be certainly kept busy whatever happens. I heard Duckworth and Lewis have been approached to adjudicate.
Yep, it is an almost unbelievably bad set up in a sport which shoud be about winning and losing, and not by how much you win and lose by, quite apart from likely confusion within players and spectators.
Groups of 3 worked well in the brief period ( before abandonment ) of ATP 250 groups not, and that was much less complicated overall, without say best runners up, all on equal ties won.
Probably to be expected based on this weeks events. Shame for Cam and also Joe will ultimately be disappointed but we knew Jamie and Neal had been picked.
The team is strong. Whether we choose Dan/Andy, Kyle/Andy or Dan/Kyle for each match, we should win our groups and maybe we have the opportunity to mix it up in the group stage to let all 3 have a play (Dan/Andy v Kazakhstan, Dan/Kyle v Netherlands?) and also not risk Andy too much too early, as we will need him in the QF round to be fit and well.
Out of interest, if Joe had been selected, presumably it would have been instead of Neal? If that had been the case, I wonder if the doubles pair would have ended up being Jamie and Andy (in which case there would have been no point selecting Joe) or whether Jamie and Joe might have been put together? I cannot find any records to suggest Joe and Jamie have ever played together, does anyone have any insight to whether their games might work together? I cannot see how Joe being picked to form a scratch pair would have been any better or less risky than Jamie and Neal, so must say i do support the selection Leon has made.
Either way, I think it is the right team and with Kyle having beaten Schwartzman (and Argentina being a likely QF opponent) I do have high hopes we could make the semis in Madrid.
I'd be be going with playing what's thought to be the best 2 singles players for winning each tie. Not really much wriggle room in these groups of 3. Get the 2 group ties won.
If Andy is deemed to be one of them for both ties so be it. I don't think it will do him any harm to play each day, indeed maybe good for later. His stamina has come on hugely.
Pity for Joe, I don't know if he is maybe by now our best overall doubles player but Jamie & Neal are a partnership and seem to be steadily gelling more after a slowish start. So an understandable selection.
Group F is very open and a number of talented players in here. Hard to call this one and perhaps the most interesting apart from Group B. Good to see Mardy Fish as US captain!
Group F
Canada Milos Raonic Felix Auger-Aliassime Denis Shapovalov Vasek Pospisil Captain: Frank Dancevic
Italy Matteo Berrettini Fabio Fognini Lorenzo Sonego Andrea Seppi Simone Bolelli Captain: Corrado Barazzutti
United States Taylor Fritz Reilly Opelka Sam Querrey Frances Tiafoe Jack Sock Captain: Mardy Fish
Canadians looking like a real threat for the title in madrid