Davis Cup: GB v Holland

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Davis Cup: GB v Holland

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Is John Lloyd that shrewd?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Impossible! That intelligent a move can't be expected from a man who was searching for a doubles player a few months ago even though Jamie and Auckland were both available.

john · Top national player

When was he "searching" for a doubles player??

Count Zero · Tennis legend

he probably learnt it from henamn, he is the master of pre match excuses.

Salmon · Tennis legend

I thought that he complained about the lack of good doubles players in the country, no?

john · Top national player

Don't really remember that, but if it was a few months back, he may have had a point. Jamie Murray was either only just a top 100 player or not quite one yet and besides, most of his double points had come from futures and from playing with Andy. Aucks was playing with Delgado mostly in challengers. Aucks was just a top 100 player. It's only really the last few months with both of them settling down on ATP tour with regular partners that you could really say we have viable options for Davis Cup doubles.

Drew · Apr 1, 2007

Only a week to go. Will start a few threads at the end of the week for my reports, blog and interviews for the DC weekend.

Rob C will be setting up a page on britishtennis.net also.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

looking forward to it Drew and John?

Drew · Apr 2, 2007

Yip looking forward to it.....Murray better be playing though argg !!!

Ghosting · Lower Club Player

Well, Greg didn't play many matches but I wouldn't underestimate him. On carpet with his serve he is still dangerous and experienced enough to beat Haase or Sluiter. Without Murray it would be foolish to rely on Bloomer or Boggo.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Out of curiousity, if (stressing the if here please) Andy does have to pull out of the tie, who do we think should have the 4th place - Bloomers or Baker? And who do we think Lloyd would pick? (not necessarily the same answer)

Personally I think it's a hard one to answer, they are both having exceptionally good 2007s so far and both are at (or very near) their career bests. Baker has played a dead rubber before (which he lost) whereas I believe I'm right in saying this is the first time Bloomers has been called up to the team.

I think I would pick Bloomers because he's coming fresh from winning a futures and he is the higher ranked of the two, also Baker is still very young and will have plenty of chances in the future (i hope) to play live rubbers, especially once Tim and Greg have retired when I think he may become a regular feature on the team.

I have a feeling Lloyd would choose Baker though as he already has experience of a Davis Cup rubber albeit a dead one and Lloyd seems to see Baker as one of the 'young talents' we have and wants to give him a chance.

(Before Sheddie comes to my house with an axe I think Baker is a very promising young talent as well it's only in quotation marks because I'm quoting Lloyd!)

Count Zero · Tennis legend

andy's injury has left JL in a potentialy tricky situation.
Haase is in good form, wining and indoor challenger recently ( and reaching the finl of wrexham), suliter is only back from injury, but to be honest i cant see greg wining a live single rubber. but would JL trust a match to either bloomers or baker? if boggo was in the team would we be better off? or we would doubt his ability under pressure? we know he can match up with suliter

-- Edited by Count Zero at 21:27, 2007-04-02

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I would have thought Bloomers was better than Jamie B on indoor carpet? No idea what his temperament is like for DC of course.

aria81 · Club Coach

This, to me proves that JL has picked the wrong team. I think Andy will play but if he doesn't you have the very real possibility of playing a guy who has picked up a racket once in 5 months to win a best of five set match. It's nothing against Greg - I just don't think it's realistic to expect him to win a match with virtually no match-practice and he put himself in that situation by not playing challengers earlier in the season.

Boggo should have been in the squad - he's our third best player and I know mentally he might not be ready but he's going to have to be ready at one point or else we're in trouble a year or two down the line. I would have had him in simply to play the dead rubbers in order to get his confidence back.

I think Andy will play on Friday - I didn't get the sense from his interview that it was that bad. It sounded like he wasn't 100% convinced he would play, but the way he was talking about the doubles just made me think that he was just being cautious so as not to tip his hand one way or another. Regardless - it shows the lack of depth we have at our disposal if Andy or Tim were to miss their match. What looks initially like a nice, straight forward tie suddenly becomes perilous if Andy doesn't play.

-- Edited by aria81 at 00:21, 2007-04-03