Davis Cup: GB v Ukraine

Akhenaten · Pro player

RE: Davis Cup: GB v Ukraine

Drew · Sep 19, 2006

johnnylad wrote:

Interview with Lloyd on lta.org.uk

http://www.lta.org.uk/Newsroom/Interviews/060919Lloyd.htm?BSMGuid=f3c23752-24bb-42b6-8454-07b73c66254b

Not a difficult question in sight ? nothing about 'mackingate' either

Robxon · Lower Club Player

It looks like Greg is playing tomorrow....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/5366740.stm

Rusedski opens up against Ukraine

Greg Rusedski (left) talks to Andy Murray in a previous Davis Cup tie
Rusedski (left) and Murray should both win their singles on FridayGreg Rusedski will face Ukrainian number one Sergiy Stakhovsky in the opening match of Great Britain's Davis Cup tie in Odessa on Friday.

Rusedski's world ranking has slipped to 136 while his 20-year-old opponent is ranked 188th in the world.

Rusedski will be followed on court by British number one Andy Murray, who takes on Aleksandr Dolgopolov Jnr, 17, who is ranked 352nd in the world.

GB must win to stop relegation to Group Two for the first time since 1996.

Murray, the world number 16, is confident that GB will beat their hosts.

"I am feeling good and there is a great confidence amongst the team that we can get the job done," said the Scot.

"I have had plenty of rest since the US Open and I always look forward to playing Davis Cup when the whole crowd is supporting the other team."

Drew · Sep 21, 2006

The BBC said in the 9.30 sports news that Andy and Greg are also playing the doubles on Saturday.

What the hell is Loyd upto....seriously if we want to develop other players play them

Count Zero · Tennis legend

because when it comes to the sharp end most pople are scared to take the risk, just look at sven in the world cup with walcott.

Drew · Sep 21, 2006

Count Zero wrote:

because when it comes to the sharp end most pople are scared to take the risk, just look at sven in the world cup with walcott.

I get what u are saying but look at the rankings in this tie.....

OK Andy and Greg play Friday and barring injury and a complete melt down we go 2-0.

Saturday comes. We should have our 2 best doubles players out there. Then if we loose that match we have 2 banker matches to win on Sunday. If we win the first you play Baker in the dead-rubber.

Sorry the doubles situation to me is a no-brainer

Count Zero · Tennis legend

jamies article (posted eslewhere) suggests jamie D will play the dubs, i can not belive greg can contemplate back to back 5 setters on clay. if they are playing greg on clay would suggest jamie will play singles, uptill whne can they alter the line up?

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Count Zero wrote:

uptill whne can they alter the line up?

I think the commentators said at the last match that they can change the line up, up to 1 hour before the match starts but I'm not sure how reliable that information is.

I wouldn't mind Lloyd not taking a risk quite so much if he hadn't made such a big deal out of how he was going to take risks and take a few loses to develop our players. But I really don't think Greg will cope with back to back five setters, in fact I have a horrible feeling he'll struggle in his singles tomorrow.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Crazy. Abso-flippin'-lutely crazy.

I doubt if Greg will last one match, frankly.

Sheddie · administrator

Greg and Lloyd have been talking confidently before the tie about Greg's fitness, Lloyd is very upbeat that he can last a 5 setter and Greg feels that his hip is fine [there's an audio clip on the Beeb website]. Greg also feels that the courts suit his attacking game as they're fast and slippy, a bit like those in Rome where he reached rd3.

However, I am very disappointed that Jamie Baker hasn't been given his chance. At some point we've got to start building a team for the future and give some players the chance to prove themselves as a 2nd singles player behind Andy, rather than just relying on Greg until he retires and then realising "oh no, we've got no one with experience of winning a live tie to replace him." Jamie's going to be a vital member of the DC team over the next decade [along with Boggo and Goodall] and this struck me as an ideal opportunity to give him a chance to prove himself, rather than waiting until a Euro-African group 1 tie next year or even a world group playoff tie next September when the opposition will be a lot stiffer making things harder for a rookie.

The sensible thing to do would have been to play Jamie in the 1st singles and then Andy and Delgado in the doubles and then save Greg for if we needed him on the final afternoon.

It seems almost certain that Lloyd will pick Greg in Saturday's doubles aswell which seems crazy. He's got a dodgy hip and Lloyd's asking him to play 2 best of 5 set matches in 2 days on clay, the most wearing surface on the body. Delgado should be chosen for the doubles, he combined well with Andy against Israel, he's had GS success and he's reached 2 challenger finals on clay. We've also seen against Switzerland and Serbia that Andy and Greg don't work particularly well as a pair.

A worrying thing is that on the LTA website I've read this quote from Lloyd “Greg is still a player who comes with a big reputation and the youngsters in the Ukraine team will obviously be aware of what Greg has done in the game. Right now he is just what we need in the team but everything he’s said this week makes me think he will still be around to play next year.” Next year !!!! What about giving the youngsters a chance as he said before he was appointed, if Greg plays next year, the first time that guys like Goodall or Baker will get the chance to play a live rubber could be in a world-group playoff in September [if GB win in April] when the opposition will be almost certainly top 100, possibly top 50 and extremely tough.

Sheddie · administrator

Rusedski v Stakhovsky thread in "Henman, Rusedski and General tennis discussion."

RJA · Hall of fame

UltimateBoggoFan wrote:

However, I am very disappointed that Jamie Baker hasn't been given his chance. At some point we've got to start building a team for the future and give some players the chance to prove themselves as a 2nd singles player behind Andy, rather than just relying on Greg until he retires and then realising "oh no, we've got no one with experience of winning a live tie to replace him." Jamie's going to be a vital member of the DC team over the next decade [along with Boggo and Goodall] and this struck me as an ideal opportunity to give him a chance to prove himself, rather than waiting until a Euro-African group 1 tie next year or even a world group playoff tie next September when the opposition will be a lot stiffer making things harder for a rookie.

The sensible thing to do would have been to play Jamie in the 1st singles and then Andy and Delgado in the doubles and then save Greg for if we needed him on the final afternoon.

While this assessment has considerable merit it ignores one huge consideration. Greg obviously wanted to play today and given his loyal service over the years it would have been very very harsh not to give him the chance to do so.

PS: I don't mean to brag but I did say from the start that Greg would play day 1 singles

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Madeline wrote:

Crazy. Abso-flippin'-lutely crazy.

I doubt if Greg will last one match, frankly.

OK, I was wrong. He lasted. But only just, it seemed to me - against better opposition he would have been blown off court.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

P.S. I love the name of the stadium here - The Lawn Tennis Club, Odessa.

Funny lawns they have in Ukraine

Vonce · Club Coach

I thought this would be the most suitable thread to put this in.. Does anyone know when the draw for the Euro/Africa Zone I for next year takes place?

Also will team GB's next tie be at home or away, but I suppose we'll only know that till we get drawn with a certain country. Hopefully we'll be seeded but I don't see it for the final tie to win to get to the World Group Playoffs in 2007.