Week 45 – BJK Cup Playoffs – GB v Sweden – Copper Box, London – Indoor Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Week 45 – BJK Cup Playoffs – GB v Sweden – Copper Box, London – Indoor Hard

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

A reminder from the 1973 Tennis Abstract series of articles that the things we are discussing now are not at all unusual. This article talks about the 1973 Davis Cup semis between Australia and Czechoslavakia (as it was then) on grass in Melbourne.

Captains making big selection decisions (Laver or Rosewall, an unknown Czech player), form on the relevant surface, and un heralded players getting the win of their lives. Familiar territory!

Pundits have always said that Davis Cup isn't about the chalk: the pressure of the international event is such that you can throw the usual rankings, forecasts, and odds out the window. Anyone, regardless of stature, can step up and deliver a big win for his country.
When Australia met Czechoslovakia in the 1973 Davis Cup semi-finals, both captains took a chance. Aussie honcho Neale Fraser picked the in-form Rod Laver over the steadier Ken Rosewall--admittedly, a choice most captains would have killed to make. Czechoslovakia's leader, Antonin Bolardt, took a bigger gamble, leaving hard-hitting veteran Vladimír Zedník on the bench in favor of Jií Hebec, a 23-year-old who had won just eight career matches on grass.
Rosewall understood Fraser's decision. He acknowledged that Laver and John Newcombe were the "form horses," and Rocket had beaten him just a few days previously. By choosing Hebec, Bolardt went all-in on recent results: The youngster had beaten his countryman, Wimbledon champion Jan Kode, in a five-set match just before departing for Australia.
On November 16th, both captains looked like geniuses. Laver straight-setted Kode 6-3, 7-5, 7-5, in a match defined by stellar serving, questionable line calls, and bad bounces on the Kooyong turf. Both players frequently appealed to the umpire, and several points were replayed. Kode seemed to attribute the outcome to poor officiating, but in truth, Laver was in control of every aspect of the match. "I haven't served so well in years," said the Rocket.
Fraser was surprised to see Hebec's name on the lineup card. "I immediately reckoned that was two rubbers to Australia," he said. The press box was even more baffled, as reporters couldn't agree on the pronunciation of his name. It was "Yearie Schebetz," clarified Rod Humphries of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Three of the biggest servers in the game--Laver, Newcombe, and Zedník--were in the stadium. Yet Hebec turned in the day's star performance from the line. He overpowered an inconsistent Newk to win the first set, 6-4, and held on in the second through 16 games before the Australian took it, 10-8.
One-set all, packed house, Davis Cup pressure: This was where experience should have told. Instead, the youngster kept cool and relied on the support of his teammates. "Whenever Newk got close," said Fraser, "Hebec would pull out a tremendous shot." Often it was an unreturnable serve: He tallied 14 aces in the match. Newcombe couldn't turn the tide, and the unheralded Czech finished the job, 6-4, 7-5.
The tie was suddenly a whole lot more complicated, and both captains would have restless nights. Should the visitors ride Hebec's form in the doubles and leave Zedník on the bench? Should Fraser bring in Rosewall in place of a fatigued Laver or an unsteady Newk? The semi-final was supposed to be an Aussie rout, but after the first day of play, it was clear that for either captain, one bad decision could be the end of his nation's Davis Cup hopes.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Re Katie Swan's current live WTA ranking she is with Emma and Fran Jones whose ranking has plummeted because of injury. Katie is currently 269, Fran 286 and Emma 289.

9vicman · Strong Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
100% agree with you about Katie Swan.
Her Surbiton final was brilliant - and oh SO close
If that girl weren't injured so much, she would be WTA 50 at the drop of a hat

And I also agree with Anne K's picks, no problem.

However, you state: "For better or for worse, and probably in the interests of simplicity, and transparency, the selection of players for the BJK Cup squads over the last several years seems to me to have been based on WTA ranking."

This is true. But this begs the obvious question: then what is the captain there for? If selection is basically automatic, then does the captain just make sure everyone's got their kit bag and is on time for the press photo?

I'm assuming we all agree that the answer to that is no

Anne failed big time as captain in the Jodie match. It's not a death sentence, she might have other very good qualities that the players appreciate and, overall, be a good captain. But she should really look back at that match, talk to other people with experience, and at least ask herself what she could have done differently.

Yes I agree with you both in terms of the quality of Swan's game. I guess I was factoring in her injury issues when looking at ceilings. But there's no doubt that when healthy, she can compete at the highest level.

I think the reason the highest ranked players were traditionally selected in the past was the lack of depth in British women's tennis. But let's not forget that Keothavong took a gamble on Barnett and Nicholls at the 2022 Finals who came close to taking GB through to the final.

But there's a difference between the players selected for a squad and who is picked for individual matches and how you interact with these players. Don't want to judge Keothavong on that one match - Jodie played her part! - but it was clear that she was unable to make a positive impact. However she wouldn't remain in this position if she didn't have the respect of the players.

indiana · Tennis legend

I must admit that while I have expressed clear doubts about Anne's captaincy, the thought that she was picking players purely on WTA ranking has not been one of them.

Clearly ranking will generally have a pretty significant link to form and I have felt the right players have generally been picked. Folk here seemed happy with Anne's selections for this tie.

I would have big issues if it was simply WTA rankings determining selection "probably in the interests of simplicity and transparency". C'mon, a captain is there to select and all factors such as surface, most recent form and experience surely have to be considered. The job is to get wins. Again my doubts are not that Anne had been doing this, my doubts are over the suggestion that that's simply been what has been happening.

Lambda · Futures level

Anne didn't go by ranking for the April tie. She went with GB #3, #4 and #6, overlooking Jodie at GB#2 and Katie Swan at GB#5, on the basis she wanted to go with the same team that played at Glasgow.

indiana · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
Anne didn't go by ranking for the April tie. She went with GB #3, #4 and #6, overlooking Jodie at GB#2 and Katie Swan at GB#5, on the basis she wanted to go with the same team that played at Glasgow.

Cheers, Lambda. Didn't need to look far for that.

Peter too · Tennis legend

I think Anne did a good job on selection. Jodie as the GB number 2 was clearly in contention but lacked experience in the BJK Cup cauldron. Anne picked her in an event we were expected to win fairly easily, so Jodie now knows what it is like to play BJK cup. Anne then gave the team two very good chances to win the match with the more experienced Harriet and a good doubles pairing. Result- match won and Jodie will be better prepared next time in what is likely to be a tougher match and Anne will be be better prepared to face any future problems.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

indiana wrote:
Lambda wrote:
Anne didn't go by ranking for the April tie. She went with GB #3, #4 and #6, overlooking Jodie at GB#2 and Katie Swan at GB#5, on the basis she wanted to go with the same team that played at Glasgow.
Cheers, Lambda. Didn't need to look far for that.

Hang on a minute chaps, I thought there was a competing plan in place earlier this year with the grass season approaching to try to allow the youngsters to boost their WTA ranking, so in effect that superceded the BJK Cup tie, so we have to talk about the players who were available for selection. Other similar considerations this last year and a half have been necessary because of the close proximity in the schedule of BJK Cup, United Cup ties, etc. What I was trying to say, is that I don't recall an example of Annie K omitting a higher ranked player (who was available to play at the time). So it seems to me there is no favoritism, no cliques when it comes to selection, and the selection of Burrage, ranked as GB #2, but a comparative novice in BJK Cup terms, backs that up, and says Annie K plays a straight bat, and gets the agreement of all the players.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Jodie was available for the April tie and made her disappointment at not being selected known.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

PaulM wrote:
Jodie was available for the April tie and made her disappointment at not being selected known.

Well I didn't know that, thanks for enlightening me PaulM.

indiana · Tennis legend

Anyway there should be "favouritism" in favour of the players that the captain most thinks will get the job done at any time.

Once again selecting purely by WTA ranking / "playing a straight bat"?? ).would surely be a cop out of responsibility

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

indiana wrote:
Anyway there should be"favouritism" in favour of the plauets that the captain most thinks will get the job done.

Once again selecting purely by WTA ranking / "playing a straight bat"?? ).would surely be a cop out of responsibility

With a small player pool, the captain needs to keep them all on her side, injuries to your favorites at the wrong time and you'll be up the creek without a paddle.

indiana · Tennis legend

foobarbaz wrote:
indiana wrote:
Anyway there should be"favouritism" in favour of the plauets that the captain most thinks will get the job done.

Once again selecting purely by WTA ranking / "playing a straight bat"?? ).would surely be a cop out of responsibility
With a small player pool, the captain needs to keep them all on her side, injuries to your favorites at the wrong time and you'll be up the creek without a paddle.

You keep them on side by letting the WTA rankings select the team?

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

indiana wrote:
foobarbaz wrote:
indiana wrote:
Anyway there should be"favouritism" in favour of the plauets that the captain most thinks will get the job done.

Once again selecting purely by WTA ranking / "playing a straight bat"?? ).would surely be a cop out of responsibility
With a small player pool, the captain needs to keep them all on her side, injuries to your favorites at the wrong time and you'll be up the creek without a paddle.
You keep them on side by letting the WTA rankings select the team?

Well I think it's more about having a clear, simple and transparent selection criteria and doing everything you can to keep all the players in the loop, in order to foster the team ethic.