Davis Cup, Part 1: A New Hope

Due to the USTA being as organized as Bush's administration the draw for Indian Wells is not currently out. It starts on the 12th, with qualifiers starting now. It would be strange to release ATP BACKSPIN on a Thursday and quite unprofessional.

On the men's side, since the turn of the century just twice has a player won the tournament who has never been world number one. Alex Corretja in 2000 and Ljubicic in 2010 are the exceptions, though they rose to 2 and 3. Corretja made two slam finals. So once every ten years, basically, someone who was not at one point a world number one wins it.

On the women's side, the I.W. winners roll since 1990 is equally star-studded, but this year we get Serena Williams back. Expect fireworks.

This week you get double the Backspin fun. So you get cheered up on Monday and Thursday.

Let's get this shorter ATP BACKSPIN under way. Of course, this won't return to normal until we're on the dirty stuff. And then there are Masters, which are always a bit different. Then we have the French Open, and then it returns to normal. So for a while, everything is up in the air and the normal becomes the abnormal. But then you already knew that.

Clay court picks are on the horizon -- the bane of Backspin. We have half a floor at Backspin HQ dedicated to picking clay events. There's a big poster of La Petit Taureau on one wall, Rafa on the other, a signed photo of Guga and a lovely [not to mention frankly enormous] framed photo of Chrissie Evert. But I digress. It would take far too long to describe all of Backspin HQ. And, honestly, there is only man who can give you the full tour. I don't have the authority to go above floor five. It's a seven story building. I think.

So on we go....



*DAVIS CUP 1st ROUND*
FRA d. GER 3-2
...Not a big surprise here, but it was closer than expected. Spain aren't here, so France should be default favorites. It all depends on the fitness of the big guns they will have to rely on as we go deeper into this tournament. If they go into every tie with Simon, Monfils, Tsonga, Gasquet and Roger-Vasselin, Mahut or Benny they will win. On any surface. Simon beat Struff 7-6,2-6,6-7,6-2,10-8 in an epic to give France a nice lead. Monfils had no troubles and played a very sensible match that lacked any drama [that sentence will never again be written, typed or communicated via smoke signal on Backspin ever again] to give France a 2-0 lead. Monfils won 6-4,7-5,7-6, sealing it with an ace. The doubles pair cleaned up, dropping only nine games against Becker/Begeman. The French cruise through in the end. The Germans picked up the dead rubbers, to make it 3-2 in favor of the French. France play Great Britain next, the week after Wimbledon. The rumor is that the Brits may try grass. That would play into the hands of the French. Sure, Murray should win both of his but is that a certainty and can Britain win one of the remaining three?
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GBR d. USA 3-2
...Isner melts under pressure, like Ice Cream in Alabama. It's hard to crumble as dramatically as Isner did. He pulled a Coria.
Murray beat Young 6-1,6-1,4-6,6-2 in a strangely close tie. Young actually pushed the Scot, though it was not enough. Ward defeated Isner 6-7[4],5-7,6-3,7-6[3],15-13. It is mind-blowingly bad from Isner. Your opponent is dead. He is finished. Ward was down and out for the count. Inexplicably, Isner decided to just give him a chance. Why? Who knows. Ward took it and won. Inglot/Murray [Jamie] pushed the Bryans but lost as the Americans won 6-3,6-2,3-6,6-7[8],9-7. The Americans were very poor. They had this tie all wrapped up. They had Marshawn Lynch on the one yard line. Murray killed the tie by beating Isner 7-6,6-3,7-6 in a flat match. No such thing as a flat match in the Davis Cupt, but that was.
America must now face the World Group Playoffs. Sad to say this, but the winners of this event umpteen times over are relegated. And what if the Bryans retire? America needs to look at itself.
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AUS d. CZE 3-2
...A new era? Hewitt loses, but Australia wins tie. This surely means the end of the world is nigh. These young guns are a new hope. These young guns really are astonishing and impressive. Kokkinakis got a wild card into the "fifth slam" and he was one of the only non-Americans to do so. He earned it by winning through qualifying in so many tournaments this year. Kyrgios gets direct entry. Tomic is seeded. Yes, seeded. A New Hope indeed. Kokkinakis came back from the dead as he triumphed over Rosol 4-6,2-6,7-5,7-5,6-3. He gave Australia momentum and the lead. Tomic had no problems dismissing Vesely 6-4,6-3,7-6[5] and up 2-0 the tie was looking already won. 1-6,7-6,3-6,7-6,6-2 was the scoreline on which Hewitt was on the wrong side, as he and Groth could not close it out. Tomic finally put it to bed with a 7-6 [4],6-3,7-6 [5] decision. The Czech team took the dead rubber to make it 3-2 Australia. Next up the Australian team is dragging the Kazakhs down under. On grass, the three Kazakhs in singles action are 0-2, 1-10 and 3-9. Australia have a Wimbledon champion, two recent Wimbledon quarterfinalists and the winner of the boys doubles the year before last. Play that tie on grass, Rafter. Here is an example, but with most off the ugliness cut out:



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KAZ d. ITA 3-2
...This is the forgotten tie. Italy are a dying dynasty on both tours, whilst the Kazakhs are upset kings and queens renowned for their ability to disrupt and cause the very best very big problems. The Kazakhs have a solid core and that really helps. It also helps that the Italians struggle for consistency. After a tight first set, Kukushkin took control against Seppi on the indoor hard courts and eventually won through 7-6[6],6-1,6-2. Seppi sat on the baseline and out-ground his opponent in a gritty match 6-3,6-3,6-7[5],6-2. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1, the Italians took the doubles in four long sets. The fourth set breaker was won 15-13 and that swung the momentum to the Italians. They won the fourth 6-4. The Kazakhs never just go away. Kukushkin won another breaker in his match against Seppi and then rolled through to a 7-6[8],6-0,6-4 victory. It fell to Nedovyesov to defeat Fognini. The guy who just beat Nadal on clay lost 7-5 in the fifth. There is nothing more to say.
Italy are so talented and yet they always fail to deliver. They must lick their wounds whilst the Kazakhs have to pray the Aussies do not select grass.
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ARG d. BRA 3-2
...Possibly the best tie of the weekend despite promising so little means this tie is given the "Ferrer Award" for promising so little yet delivering so much. Del Potro was in attendance and he got a treat -- http://sports.yahoo.com/news/britain-australia-kazakhstan-davis-cup-quarter-finals-175423791--ten.html. A record breaking rubber for the team sorely missing Del Potro and Nalbandian. Juan Martin did practice with them. If Nalbandian had had this Mayer in his team, he could probably have guided Argentina to at least one victory. Sousa beat Berlocq 6-4,3-6,5-7,6-3,6-2. It set the tone. Mayer leveled the tie with a comparatively straightforward 6-4,6-3,1-6,6-3 victory against youngster-turned-battle-scarred-veteran Bellucci. Melo/Soares are world class in doubles and the were untroubled. They won 7-5,6-3,6-4. After the epic match which I cannot do justice, the tie was level. Up stepped Delbonis to face Bellucci. Bellucci laid an egg this entire tie. One giant egg. Delbonis 6-3,3-6,6-2,7-5.
Argentina now face Serbia somewhere, and that place is yet to be confirmed.
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SRB d. CRO 5-0
...Ah, yes, the "Steffi Graf tie of the first round." There's always one. They always said she played like she was doubled parked. If you have half an hour you could watch this match and then you'll understand perfectly why this tie was the "Steffi Graf tie."



Djokovic cruised in the singles and the doubles [with Zimonjic, the defending Wimbledon mixed champion] and Serbia also dominated the dead rubbers. Coric led by two sets and a break against Troicki but fell to the Serbian number two in five long sets. He is the bright star in the Croatian team. He is a new hope. Croatia are struggling for players right now but if Cilic agrees to play they can easily win their playoff tie. He was injured here but if is fit the Croats will have no problems.
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CAN d. JPN 3-2
...Raonic sets it up, and Pospisil spikes the winner. Raonic sent a message with a 6-2,6-1,6-2 dismissal of Ito. Ito traveled all the way from Japan to Canada to get spanked. Poor guy. Pospisil did not disgrace himself as he lost 6-4,7-6[5],6-3. Pospisil and Nestor [one of the greatest doubles players this side of the Woodies] put away a determined Soeda/Uchiyama in five long sets to give the home team the advantage. Nishikori leveled with a long five set win over the world number six. Kei is, of course, now the world number four. They grow up so fast.

Growing up fast:


Pospisil against Soeda is a bad match up for Japan at first glance and so it proved to be. Canada would prove triumphant as they won the final rubber 7-5,6-3,6-4. Canada next travel to Belgium. It is actually quite an underrated country to tourist in. It does not get the attention it deserves and warrants. It really is a fantastic place. Belgium has its own cupboard in the archives basement of HQ, too. It's pretty big, though not, as you can surely guess, equally weighted between the ATP and WTA. Bryan's wife features prominently.
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BEL d. SUI 3-2
...That was one of the worst title defenses ever. It’s a struggle for the Davis Cup to attract big players these days, and there seems to be no good reason why. Federer described it as a burden and one he decided he could do without. Without Federinka [when will that be heard on Backspin again? It's in our nickname filing cabinet just before Fedexpress. I believe it can also be found in the Federer annex] the Swiss were woefully outmatched. They surprisingly took the opening rubber as Laaksonen came back from two sets down to win 1-6,6-7,6-4,6-0,6-2. They would get only one more set in a live rubber. The two dead rubbers were split. Whew. Switzerland will have a long wait for their Davis Cup team to be relevant again. On the WTA side, Switzerland have...



They have aged -- well, one of them has anyway - since then.
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Casey sadly lost in the first round to Hsieh, a former world number 23 and a number one in doubles. She won this event in 2012 and has won two titles in Asia. This loss is no disgrace, especially as she lost in three sets. It took the Woz ,a former world number one, to beat the talented Hsieh.

Dellacqua remains in the top 40 for both singles and doubles, but does not have a seeding for the next two big Masters. That means little, especially if she is given a decent draw.

Thanks all. Don't forget to visit WTA BACKSPIN. See you real soon [not if I see you first] -- and that goes for both Todd and I.

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