Week 47 - Davis Cup Finals - Madrid, Spain - (Indoor, Hard).

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Week 47 - Davis Cup Finals - Madrid, Spain - (Indoor, Hard).

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I've also come to the view in my own mind that best of 5 is no longer the answer. The best of 3 matches in the tour finals and here work well, the level of suspense and crowd involvement no less and the welfare of players , and accessibility for viewers are probably on balance all in favour of the slams moving to best of 3, with maybe best of 5 in second week, or Last 16 onwards.

I'm sure folks will disagree but I've seen the light!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Andy on managing his potential DC workload.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Ace Ventura wrote:
Brilliant quality match here between RBA and Rublev. Rublev knocking on the door, but he can't break Roberto - 8 BPs in total. RBA 6-3 *2-3.

What's the surface speed like, I read on the tournie website it was medium fast and with altitude it should be quicker than average I would imagine?

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
I've also come to the view in my own mind that best of 5 is no longer the answer. The best of 3 matches in the tour finals and here work well, the level of suspense and crowd involvement no less and the welfare of players , and accessibility for viewers are probably on balance all in favour of the slams moving to best of 3, with maybe best of 5 in second week, or Last 16 onwards.

I'm sure folks will disagree but I've seen the light!

The one week format of team tennis the Davis Cup has become ( for better or worse ) with 3 rubber matches over in a day, ( and at times playing on successive days ) then best of 3 set tennis does look more suitable than it ever was for the home & away rounds which were accepted, indeed liked, by many as more epic affairs.

But Slam men's singles to best of 3 in any MD round? - a big NO from me.

You have maybe seen some light but it is on the dark side.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
I've also come to the view in my own mind that best of 5 is no longer the answer. The best of 3 matches in the tour finals and here work well, the level of suspense and crowd involvement no less and the welfare of players , and accessibility for viewers are probably on balance all in favour of the slams moving to best of 3, with maybe best of 5 in second week, or Last 16 onwards.

I'm sure folks will disagree but I've seen the light!
The one week format of team tennis the Davis Cup has become ( for better or worse ) with 3 rubber matches over in a day, ( and at times playing on successive days ) then best of 3 set tennis does look more suitable than it ever was for the home & away rounds which were accepted, indeed liked, by many as more epic affairs.
But Slam men's singles to best of 3 in any MD round? - a big NO from me.
You have maybe seen some light but it is on the dark side.

biggrin

Seriously though, and I realise it would cause lots of people much anguish, but the 3 set matches played last week turned into epics I felt. I liked a 5 set match as much as anyone, but when they go on for 5 hours or so I end up just snatching glances and dont have time to stick with it. I always resisted change as I felt 3 set matches didnt have time to build the drama but what I saw at the O2, I think, helped me get over that concern.

Anyway, it will never change so not sure why I am hypothesising!

More importantly, Colombia are now out as they lose to Australia, no real surprise and probably the weakest team in it.

And Canada are through to the quarterfinals as they beat USA 2-0 (1 to play) and thus get their second win. Team to watch. Thankfully in other half of the draw to GB, assuming of course we win our group.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I see canada have handed the doubles to usa. In the context of who finishes second in their group, in terms of 2 best runners up across the groups it could be a big deal. Not sure what I think, but a little disappointing, canada could perhaps have at least put out their reserves if shapo and pospisil were tired

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Nadal and khachanov are in 2nd set tie break. Even if Nadal wins it in 2 sets, we are looking at post 11pm start for doubles. If khachanov plays doubles again as per first round match, we are looking at midnight start. And it will be 1 all so both teams will need to win that doubles.

Wow.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
I see canada have handed the doubles to usa. In the context of who finishes second in their group, in terms of 2 best runners up across the groups it could be a big deal. Not sure what I think, but a little disappointing, canada could perhaps have at least put out their reserves if shapo and pospisil were tired

So how's that going to be counted in sets and games to feed into tiebreak bingo? Slight problem, Houston.

There was always the danger that matches/sets that were dead for one team might be very much alive for their opponents but at least I thought they'ed be played and we'd have full scores.

indiana · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
I see canada have handed the doubles to usa. In the context of who finishes second in their group, in terms of 2 best runners up across the groups it could be a big deal. Not sure what I think, but a little disappointing, canada could perhaps have at least put out their reserves if shapo and pospisil were tired
So how's that going to be counted in sets and games to feed into tiebreak bingo? Slight problem, Houston.
There was always the danger that matches/sets that were dead for one team might be very much alive for their opponents but at least I thought they'ed be played and we'd have full scores.

Hmm, the answer according to a Davis Cup wiki page is a 6-0 6'0 doubles win to the USA. USA are 0-1 for ties, 1-2 for matches, 2-4 for sets and 33-27 up overall in games. Could be rather useful to the USA if they beat Italy to be second in their group. Hope it doesn't end up mattering.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 19th of November 2019 11:08:12 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Nadal and khachanov are in 2nd set tie break. Even if Nadal wins it in 2 sets, we are looking at post 11pm start for doubles. If khachanov plays doubles again as per first round match, we are looking at midnight start. And it will be 1 all so both teams will need to win that doubles.

Wow.

Nadal did win. So it's down to doubles. It's now midnight in madrid. Late finish ahead.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
indiana wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
I see canada have handed the doubles to usa. In the context of who finishes second in their group, in terms of 2 best runners up across the groups it could be a big deal. Not sure what I think, but a little disappointing, canada could perhaps have at least put out their reserves if shapo and pospisil were tired
So how's that going to be counted in sets and games to feed into tiebreak bingo? Slight problem, Houston.
There was always the danger that matches/sets that were dead for one team might be very much alive for their opponents but at least I thought they'ed be played and we'd have full scores.
Hmm, the answer according to a Davis Cup wiki page is a 6-0 6'0 doubles win to the USA. USA are 0-1 for ties, 1-2 for matches, 2-4 for sets and 33-27 up overall in games. Could be rather useful to the USA if they beat Italy to be second in their group.

Just about to answer the same. Makes it v difficult. Canada will play winner of belgium or australia by the way, will be a good match up.

Meanwhile, andy Murray may rest and miss match v dutch, which we should win comfortably. Apparently he is also still slightly above fighting weight, so wants to lose a few more pounds.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Spain select granollers and lopez, russia go with khachanov and rublev. Looking at a 2 am or later finish. Russian win will see them through

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Good comeback from the Peers & Thompson in the deciding set doubles rubber against the world number 1's. Saved 4 consecutive MPs, before winning 6 points in a row to seal a 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) win.

Real shame about the Canada doubles. I really want this tournament to work, but that is a pretty big issue. As Indy says, hopefully it won't matter too much by the end of the group stage.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

I've saw most of the tennis today (never seen so much men's tennis these past 10 days), but I'm back in the office tomorrow, so will have to listen to the GB tie on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, which I'm actually quite looking forward to in a way, as I can't remember the last time I listened to tennis on the radio - I've got it recorded so I will whizz through it when I'm back in the house.

Interesting selections to make, sounds like it'll be Evans and Edmund as JonH was indicating, which makes sense as (fingers crossed) we could potentially play 5 ties in 5 days, and Netherlands should in theory be the weakest team we'll face, regardless of how far we end up going.