2017 Davis Cup Thread

[Eco]

First round starts this weekend, and here are the weekend matchups!

ARGENTINA v ITALY
Venue: Parque Sarmiento, Buenos Aires, ARG (clay - outdoor)

Argentina
Diego Schwartzman
Horacio Zeballos
Guido Pella
Leonardo Mayer
Captain: Daniel Orsanic

Italy
Paolo Lorenzi
Fabio Fognini
Andreas Seppi
Simone Bolelli
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

GERMANY v BELGIUM
Venue: Fraport Arena, Frankfurt, GER (hard - indoor)

Germany
Alexander Zverev
Philipp Kohlschreiber
Mischa Zverev
Jan-Lennard Struff
Captain: Michael Kohlmann

Belgium
David Goffin
Steve Darcis
Ruben Bemelmans
Joris de Loore
Captain: Johan van Herck

AUSTRALIA v CZECH REPUBLIC
Venue: Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, Melbourne, AUS (hard - outdoor)

Australia
Nick Kyrgios
Jordan Thompson
Sam Groth
John Peers
Captain: Lleyton Hewitt

Czech Republic
Jiri Vesely
Radek Stepanek
Jan Satral
Zdenek Kolar
Captain: Jaroslav Navratil

USA v SWITZERLAND
Venue: Legacy Arena / BJCC, Birmingham, USA (hard - indoor)

USA
John Isner
Jack Sock
Steve Johnson
Sam Querrey
Captain: Jim Courier

Switzerland
Marco Chiudinelli
Henri Laaksonen
Adrien Bossel
Antoine Bellier
Captain: Severin Luthi

JAPAN v FRANCE
Venue: Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, JPN (hard - indoor)

Japan
Yoshihito Nishioka
Yuichi Sugita
Taro Daniel
Yasutaka Uchiyama
Captain: Minoru Ueda

France
Richard Gasquet
Gilles Simon
Nicolas Mahut
Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Captain: Yannick Noah

CANADA v GREAT BRITAIN
Venue: The Arena at TD Place, Ottawa, CAN (hard - indoor)

Canada
Milos Raonic
Vasek Pospisil
Denis Shapovalov
Daniel Nestor
Captain: Martin Laurendeau

Great Britain
Kyle Edmund
Daniel Evans
Jamie Murray
Dominic Inglot
Captain: Leon Smith

SERBIA v RUSSIA
Venue: Sportski Centar Cair, Nis, SRB (hard - indoor)

Serbia
Novak Djokovic
Viktor Troicki
Dusan Lajovic
Playing captain: Nenad Zimonjic

Russia
Andrey Kuznetsov
Karen Khachanov
Daniil Medvedev
Konstantin Kravchuk
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

CROATIA v SPAIN
Venue: Sportska Dvorana Gradski Vrt, Osijek, CRO (hard - indoor)

Croatia
Franko Skugor
Nikola Mektic
Ante Pavic
Marin Draganja
Captain: Zeljko Krajan

Spain
Rafael Nadal
Roberto Bautista Agut
Pablo Carreno Busta
Marc Lopez
Captain: Conchita Martinez​

 

[Eco]

My winners for the first round are; Argentina, Germany, Czech, USA, France, Canada, Serbia, and Spain.

 

[bksballer89]

My winners for the first round are; Argentina, Germany, Czech, USA, France, Canada, Serbia, and Spain.

We're so damn lucky Fed or Stan are not participating. We would be toast.

 

[Eco]

We're so damn lucky Fed or Stan are not participating. We would be toast.

Agreed. Like Japan is lucky Monfils and Tsonga aren't playing otherwise that matchup would be much worse than it'll end up being.

 

[nuraman00]

Germany vs. Belgium looks fun.

Why isn't Nishikori playing?

 

[nuraman00]

A few years ago, during one of the summer tournaments, ESPN was interviewing Federer. He said it's always tough to play a Swiss player, and that Marco Chiudinelli "owned him".

Brad Gilbert then looked up his record against Chiudinelli.

Gilbert: "You're 2-0 against him."

Federer: "Yes, well he owns my mind."

LOL.

The matches actually looked close:

Head To Head | Roger Federer vs Marco Chiudinelli H2H

2011 Doha R16 Hard Roger Federer Marco Chiudinelli 7-6(5) 7-5
2009 Basel SF Hard Roger Federer Marco Chiudinelli 7-6(7) 6-3

 

[Eco]

Germany vs. Belgium looks fun.

Why isn't Nishikori playing?

Goffin isn't playing either so my Germans should roll!

 

[Eco]

Well, France is up 2-0 on Japan; and the Aussies are up 2-0 on Czech.

Right now, Kohlschreiber (GER) is playing Darcis (BEL)

 

[bksballer89]

Germany vs. Belgium looks fun.

Why isn't Nishikori playing?

Davis Cup timing is very poor. Having it right after a major is stupid IMO. Nothing big takes place all of this month. Why not play it next week or the following?

 

[Eco]

Davis Cup timing is very poor. Having it right after a major is stupid IMO. Nothing big takes place all of this month. Why not play it next week or the following?

That is a good point, but this also isn't an ATP event (it's the ITF), so this is one the ITF for not doing a better scheduling job.

Darcis is serving to go up a set on Kohlschreiber.

 

[bksballer89]

That is a good point, but this also isn't an ATP event (it's the ITF), so this is one the ITF for not doing a better scheduling job.

Darcis is serving to go up a set on Kohlschreiber.

They do the same thing after the US Open. Why hold Davis Cup semis right after the US Open? Is your goal to have top players drop out?

 

[Eco]

No idea- but I am with you on this point.

Kohlschreidber (GER) is controlling the second set. Currently up 4-1.

Khachanov (RUS) suffers an early break against Troicki (SRB).

 

[nuraman00]

Davis Cup timing is very poor. Having it right after a major is stupid IMO. Nothing big takes place all of this month. Why not play it next week or the following?

Yeah. It's always so weird how they have the QF right after Wimbledon, and the SF right after the USO.

I know there's other 500 and 1000 ATP events looming in July, but there should still be a better time to schedule it. Do it during one of the weeks that has 250 events.

(Although that might mean Isner has to decide between Atlanta and Davis Cup).

 

[nuraman00]

No idea- but I am with you on this point.

Kohlschreidber (GER) is controlling the second set. Currently up 4-1.

Khachanov (RUS) suffers an early break against Troicki (SRB).

I wish Kohlschreiber was a more consistent top 25 player.

Wow, I can't believe he lost in the first round at every major last year.

Nishikori in straight sets at the AO; Sousa in 4 sets at the FO; Herbert in 4 sets at Wimbledon; and Mahut in straight sets at the USO.

 

[Eco]

Early on, Marco is playing well against Sock.

Jack is constantly missing his 1st serve though, whereas Marco is making his. Not pushing any form of a 'panic' button, but Jack has to win this match and it's already looking harder than I predicted it would be.

 

[Eco]

Set point, Sock!

Jack wins the first set in dramatic fashion.

6-4

2nd set is coming up.

 

[Eco]

Sock flies through the second set 6-3, to take a 2 set lead.

C'mon Sock..finish this off.

 

[Eco]

Sock wins the 3rd set 6-1 to win the first match for 'Merica.

Next up: Isner.

 

[nuraman00]

Who do you think will play doubles?

 

[Eco]

Who do you think will play doubles?

If Isner wins, it'll be Querry/Johnson.

We are the clear favorites in this match up, so no reason to play Isner & Sock in doubles.