Week 37 - 2024 Davis Cup Finals, Finals Group Stage - Manchester (Indoor Hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 37 - 2024 Davis Cup Finals, Finals Group Stage - Manchester (Indoor Hard)

Smudge226 · Strong Club Player

Evo looked pretty tired in that second set of dubs, I'm sure Smith will not want to repeat putting him through singles and dubs against Argentina, it was a struggle last year I recall when form and fitness was better. Smith really wanted the dubs win today you could sense his frustration in the interview. He didn't pull any puches either when suggesting the crowd were not noisy enough and it's crucial for the home team.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Smudge226 wrote:
Evo looked pretty tired in that second set of dubs, I'm sure Smith will not want to repeat putting him through singles and dubs against Argentina, it was a struggle last year I recall when form and fitness was better. Smith really wanted the dubs win today you could sense his frustration in the interview. He didn't pull any puches either when suggesting the crowd were not noisy enough and it's crucial for the home team.

The crowd actually sounded pretty sparse to me, I might be wrong but it didnt sound like it was a 15000 plus crowd, more 2 or 3 thousand?

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Not sure how it came across on TV but there were lots of empty seats. The TV cameras were facing the teams whereas the opposite side seemed to have less empty seats. I dont think there were as many big fan groups as usual, certainly not like the Glasgow ties plus a much smaller group with the instruments. No Andy or ring leaders to organise the singing/cheering. There was still a good atmosphere. Doubt there will be much of an audience tomorrow.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

goldfish wrote:
Not sure how it came across on TV but there were lots of empty seats. The TV cameras were facing the teams whereas the opposite side seemed to have less empty seats. I dont think there were as many big fan groups as usual, certainly not like the Glasgow ties plus a much smaller group with the instruments. No Andy or ring leaders to organise the singing/cheering. There was still a good atmosphere. Doubt there will be much of an audience tomorrow.

It certainly sounded quite empty - not that the fans werent enthusiastic, you could just tell it was a largelt empty stadium

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/billy-harris-guides-great-britain-to-davis-cup-victory-in-absence-of-jack-draper/ar-AA1qpqlo

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Argentina, despite losing to Canada, will be really tough. Gonzalez and Molteni are a top doubles pair and will possibly be too much for whatever pair we put out.

Leaving us needing to possibly win both singles matches. If Jack is fit and plays, hed play Baez as their number one, unless they rest him and it would be Cerundolo. Jack should win but no gimme.

Our second string - Billy or Dan - would play Cerundolo or Etchevery and, being honest, that feels like an ask.

Hope Im very wrong but I dont fancy this match at all.

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Thursday 12th of September 2024 06:47:41 AM

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Thursday 12th of September 2024 06:48:20 AM

seagull · Hall of fame

JonH comes home wrote:
Argentina, despite losing to Canada, will be really tough. Gonzalez and Molteni are a top doubles pair and will possibly be too much for whatever pair we put out.

Leaving us needing to possibly win both singles matches. If Jack is fit and plays, hed play Baez as their number one, unless they rest him and it would be Cerundolo. Jack should win but no gimme.

Our second string - Billy or Dan - would play Cerundolo or Etchevery and, being honest, that feels like an ask.

Hope Im very wrong but I dont fancy this match at all.

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Thursday 12th of September 2024 06:47:41 AM

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Thursday 12th of September 2024 06:48:20 AM

I agree

I'm actually more optimistic about Canada match as I think we win the doubles, and hopefully Jack beats Felix again.

LPats · Improver

Wont comment on the dubs because I'm probably a little too biased with that one but thrilled for Billy, really the guy who deserves all this the most. He's looking better and better every time I watch him.

Mark1968 · Intermediate Club Player

It was very wrong, to be polite, of Leon Smith to partly blame the crowd for the doubles defeat, blaming others for ones own mistakes is particularly cowardly.

The blame lies at his door, rather than playing a specialist doubles player who recently won a little tournament called Wimbledon he chose a part time doubles player who just over a week ago was out on his feet after an exhausting US open campaign and had already played earlier in the day. Stupidity does not even do justice to Smith's decision to play Evo, he created a problem by simply not using common sense and logic, his decision and not Evo / Neal might cost us down the line.

No disrespect to Evo here by the way, he has been brilliant the last fortnight and should not have been put in this position. Well played Billy!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Mark1968 wrote:
It was very wrong, to be polite, of Leon Smith to partly blame the crowd for the doubles defeat, blaming others for ones own mistakes is particularly cowardly.

The blame lies at his door, rather than playing a specialist doubles player who recently won a little tournament called Wimbledon he chose a part time doubles player who just over a week ago was out on his feet after an exhausting US open campaign and had already played earlier in the day. Stupidity does not even do justice to Smith's decision to play Evo, he created a problem by simply not using common sense and logic, his decision and not Evo / Neal might cost us down the line.

No disrespect to Evo here by the way, he has been brilliant the last fortnight and should not have been put in this position. Well played Billy!

Agreed, it was a duff call and it seems strange having called Henry up to not have chosen to play him in this match with a view to then playing the later matches. Given Jacks fitness is not certain, and given it is a close call to choose Billy or Dan, we need Dan to be fully fit also for singles action.

I think Leon mis called this and he probably got swayed by Evo and Neals enthusiasm for their pairing - which hasnt really delivered as a pairing post their Monte Carlo run a few years back.

Smudge226 · Strong Club Player

JonH comes home wrote:
Mark1968 wrote:
It was very wrong, to be polite, of Leon Smith to partly blame the crowd for the doubles defeat, blaming others for ones own mistakes is particularly cowardly.

The blame lies at his door, rather than playing a specialist doubles player who recently won a little tournament called Wimbledon he chose a part time doubles player who just over a week ago was out on his feet after an exhausting US open campaign and had already played earlier in the day. Stupidity does not even do justice to Smith's decision to play Evo, he created a problem by simply not using common sense and logic, his decision and not Evo / Neal might cost us down the line.

No disrespect to Evo here by the way, he has been brilliant the last fortnight and should not have been put in this position. Well played Billy!
Agreed, it was a duff call and it seems strange having called Henry up to not have chosen to play him in this match with a view to then playing the later matches. Given Jacks fitness is not certain, and given it is a close call to choose Billy or Dan, we need Dan to be fully fit also for singles action.

I think Leon mis called this and he probably got swayed by Evo and Neals enthusiasm for their pairing - which hasnt really delivered as a pairing post their Monte Carlo run a few years back.

Agreed on reflection that Smith should have played Patten, not that I watch much dubs normally or have even seen him play. I must say watching Finland dubs that the servers man at the net is becoming so dominant in a more central position, it is sort of destroying the game. If I were running this sport I'd mandate all players starting positions off the court until the serve. The rallies are the best part of dubs, a starting net position just shortens points and limits rallies. Sort of like baby-lining in footy, that's why we have offside rule.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Shapo beat Vasa by an almost identical score to Evo , 7-6 6-3, which makes me feel better that Evo didnt do as badly as I thought he may have done; makes Shapo look at least a 50/50 shout for one of Evo or Billy in the matches on Sunday

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

And FAA saw off Virtanen in two comfortable sets , 2 and 3.

So Canada get the win, theyll be looking for the doubles and then sitting very good in the group.

It sort of feels like Britain v Argentina has a lot riding on it now, win that and we and Canada are both through and playing for seeding position on Sunday.

Tennis Saltire · Junior player

Canada beat Finland 3-0 so are all but through and Finland are all but out because Argentina should beat them also.

As has been stated above, tomorrow feels like winner is likely to make it through though if we beat Canada and Argentina beat us then it becomes complicated haha.

Tomorrow line up is going to be interesting, I'd imagine Jack comes straight in but who plays first match, Billy or Evo? Evo was solid though unspectacular and did what he had to but seems to relish Davis cup match play but, on the other hand, it would be harsh to drop Billy completely after an excellent debut.

Doubles is also crucial and likely to be the decider so does Leon go with his tried and tested duo of Evo/Neal or does he play 2 doubles specialists in Neal/Henry, who haven't played together. Evo/Henry is another option but, again that's an untested duo so would be risky in a must win match!

I'd go with Billy, Jack and Evo/Neal but have a feeling Leon is going to be harsh and completely drop Billy and it'll be Evo, Jack and Evo/Skupski.