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

paulisi · Tennis legend

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

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Who are we going with in doubles, is he sticking with Evo still?

Looking very much like it.

Tennis Saltire · Junior player

I'm fuming with that display so I think it's time for Leon Smith to step down because it's just unacceptable to not make the Final 8 with the team he has plus his selections have been questionable to say the least!!! I'm current for Evo should not have been in the team and instead a 3rd doubles specialist. Also, why play Evo in doubles in dead rubbers when you have an established doubles player sitting on the bench!!?? And don't get me started on the grump about the crowd, was that really necessary !!??

I really hope he does think about his future because we really do need a refresh, 14yrs in one position is a very long time though at least he had some success . Andy Murray is the obvious choice but others like Miles MacLagan, Colin Fleming and even Jamie Delgado would be good shouts ;).

indiana · Tennis legend

Not saying aye or nay re the doubles selections but they are not dead rubbers when the results might still count in a tiebreaker for qualification.

Overall, to be fair to Leon it's hardly all down to him if players are well off their best form though yes, of course we will debate his judgement of this and his consequent choices ( such as was there more chance of Billy winning today than Dan? - that's certainly far from clearcut to me ). ).

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Who are we going with in doubles, is he sticking with Evo still?
Looking very much like it.

Now showing on the ATP site as Dan & Neal.

Tennis Saltire · Junior player

indiana wrote:
Not saying aye or nay re the doubles selections but they are not dead rubbers when the results might still count in a tiebreaker for qualification.
Overall, to be fair to Leon it's hardly all down to him if players are well off their best form though yes, of course we will debate his judgement of this and his consequent choices ( such as was there more chance of Billy winning today than Dan? - that's certainly far from clearcut to me ). ).

I'm thinking more in terms of tiring poor Evo out, it would have been more Ben to him if Billy played singles and Evo in doubles to conserve energy. I understand the selection on Wednesday due to the fact Jack was out, it's today I have the issue with!!

Now don't get me wrong, I really like Leon Smith as he has done a great job in the 14yrs he's had the job, I just think we need a refresh :).

indiana · Tennis legend

Dan & Neal 6-3 *3-4

Having lost both singles in straight sets, we could really do with winning the doubles in straight sets which would leave us with a slightly better overall sets won % than Argentina ( both having won 1 tie and lost 1 tie, won 3 rubbers and lost 3 rubbers ) but with us clearly looking to have the tougher final tie.

Then, it essentially looks as if we at least match Argentina's final tie result ( on ties, rubbers and sets won/lost ) we'd qualify for the QF. With the positions already built up it looks as if Canada will very probably go through and Finland very probably out.

If we win the doubles but drop a set, we are going to have to do better than Argentina in the final ties.

Edit : re my later "nasty thought" post, even though we did win the doubles in straight sets I'm not so sure now that it will 'simply' come down to which of GB and Argentina gets the best overall final tie result.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 13th of September 2024 07:43:02 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

And the boys do win in straight sets, 6-3 7-5

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
RR2/1: Tomás Martín Etcheverry (ARG) WR 34 defeated Daniel Evans WR 178 by 2 & 5
We've had it!
RR2/2: Francisco Cerúndolo (ARG) WR 31 defeated Jack Draper WR 20 by 7-6(4) 7-5

Not quite yet! Dan the Duracell Bunny bounces back in the doubles:

RR2/3: Daniel Evans & Neal Skupski CR 886 (867+19) defeated Máximo González & Andrés Molteni (ARG) CR 64 (34+30) by 3 & 5

Argentina wins the tie by 2-1.

indiana · Tennis legend

Positions based on ties, rubbers and sets won and lost.

1. Canada 2-0 5-1 11-2
2. GB 1-1 3-3 6-6
3. Argentina 1-1 3-3 6-7
4. Finland 0-2 1-5 2-10

( might show in places as Argentina currently 2nd on H2H but it probably won't ultimately come down to H2H between just the two of them. If they end up level on ties won, they would initially be in a 3 way tie at 2-1 or 1-2 ).

I'd say definitely odds against us but we are still alive.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 13th of September 2024 07:12:23 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Well that was a relief and well done Evo and Neal. I take back my criticism of the pairing.

The good news is Finland arent out of this - if they win 3-0 and we lose, Finland have a chance. An outside one granted. But from our perspective, a 2-1 Finland win would be spot on. And that is a possibility if Virtanen pulls it together and the doubles pair do the business. Even if they get just 1 rubber, it helps us.

No point in speculating on what we need to do until we see the result tomorrow - it is a nice advantage to be able to enter the match knowing what we need to do, whatever that may be! Of course, win 3-0 v Canada and there is no issue at all!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Germany, USA, Australia and Spain (who will be hosts) are all into the finals in November after the first two rounds of play.

indiana · Tennis legend

Slightly nasty later thought, I think H2H vs Argentina could kick in at the ties then rubbers stage, negating any sets advantage we had.

eg. if we both win by 2 rubbers to 1, we'd have

Canada 2-1 6-3
GB 2-1 5-4
Argentina 2-1 5-4
Finland 0-3 2-7

So in that situation Canada would be the 3 way winners but would Argentina then be declared 2nd on H2H?

I guess, as Jon says, let's first see tomorrow's Argentina vs Finland result and then hopefully we will have agreed chapter and verse on what we need to do vs Canada.

For now, I need a lie down.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 13th of September 2024 07:46:50 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Slightly nasty later thought, I think H2H vs Argentina could kick in at the ties then rubbers stage, negating any sets advantage we had.

eg. if we both win by 2 rubbers to 1, we'd have

Canada 2-1 6-3
GB 2-1 5-4
Argentina 2-1 5-4
Finland 0-3 2-7

So in that situation Canada would be the 3 way winners but would Argentina then be declared 2nd on H2H?
I guess, as Jon says, let's first see tomorrow's Argentina vs Finland result and then hopefully we will have agreed chapter and verse on what we need to do vs Canada.
For now, I need a lie down.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 13th of September 2024 07:46:50 PM

I think youre right - head to head kicks in at the time there is a two way tie appearing, so per above we would be at a disadvantage. Shouldnt have lost to them. Oh well. come on Finland! Harri is effectively a Brit anyway!

Tennis Saltire · Junior player

I see from the BBC Sport website that Jack blaming the schedule for his loss earlier and basically stating that could actually hamper players his age staying on tour for a good length of time.

I did think he looked a little bit jaded today which is understandable, I really don't understand why they couldn't wait until next week to play the Davis Cup group stage . Unfortunately it is going to be the same in February when we play a play off not long after the AO in January, last time we had to fly out to Columbia in an away tie so ideally we'd like a home tie this time. I'm saying all that with the expectation that we don't beat Canada 3-0 plus don't get another wildcard into the group stage again, I doubt they'd give us one two years on the trot.

Anyway on the Canada tie, it's going to be interesting to see what Leon does, does he play Billy ahead of Evo or does he stick with what he went with today and hope both Evo and Jack can deliver and the doubles boys play as well as today ? I still have a feeling this next tie may be his last as captain as I can see him consider his position.