The Davis Cup World Group semifinal between Great Britain and Australia will begin on Friday on the indoor hard courts of Glasgow. Andy Murray is opening against Thanasi Kokkinakis before Dan Evans faces Bernard Tomic.
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Two good friends and frequent training partners will go head-to-head for the first time when Murray and Kokkinakis kick off the Great Britain vs. Australia Davis Cup semifinal tie on Friday in Glasgow. Both players are looking to bounce back from relatively disappointing U.S. Open campaigns. Murray had been in outstanding form with a title in Montreal and a semifinal showing in Cincinnati. Expected to go up against Roger Federer in a semifinal showdown at Flushing Meadows, the third-ranked Scot instead lost to Kevin Anderson in a fourth-round upset. Still, Murray is a stellar 59-10 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in Davis Cup singles rubbers.
Kokkinakis got dragged into the Nick Kyrgios-Stan Warinka controversy during the Montreal Masters, but he did not let it affect him in Cincinnati. The world No. 72 qualified for the main draw there and ousted Fabio Fognini before succumbing to Richard Gasquet. Kokkinakis also went up against Gasquet in the U.S. Open first round and pushed the Frenchman to five sets before retiring with cramps. The 19-year-old is 1-1 in Davis Cup this year; he came back from two sets down to beat Lukas Rosol on the road in the Czech Republic but lost during quarterfinal action at home to Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin. An away date with Murray will obviously be Kokkinakis’ toughest Davis Cup test yet.
Pick: Murray in 3 with at least 1 tiebreaker
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Dan Evans (GBR) vs. Bernard Tomic (AUS)
The Australia Davis Cup team has played some musical chairs in recent seasons, and Tomic has beena a big reason for the ongoing uncertainty due to both inconsistent play on the court and questionable behavior off it. Almost the same can be said for Kyrgios. It was Kyrgios who got the call for the Davis Cup quarterfinals against Kazakhstan, but now Tomic is on the squad while Kyrgios is absent. The 22-year-old is in strong enough form, up to a career-high ranking of 23rd in the world. He outlasted Australian teammate Lleyton Hewitt’s U.S. Open career after a five-set thriller then lost to Gasquet in the third round.
Evans is 1-0 lifetime against Tomic, having prevailed 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 at the 2013 U.S. Open. But the 25-year-old has since disappeared from the main tour. In fact, he has not won an ATP-level match since Queen’s Club in 2014 and he has not even played in an ATP tournament this season. Registering at exactly 300th in the world, Evans has been grinding away on the Futures and Challenger circuits and has three Futures titles to his credit this year. Although he is finally playing with some confidence again, this is a substantial step up in competition for Evans.
Pick: Tomic in 4
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Hope all the Brits on this site are glued to the Murray-Tomic match 🙂
Amazing atmosphere in Glasgow. Beats all the others put together for noise and support.
It was pretty obvious from the start that Tomic stands no chance of winning this match. Tomic’s shots are so weak. He tries to place the balls he doesn’t have the weight behind them and he misses a lot.
Andy challenges calls out of wishful thinking. He’s always done that.
Or gamesmanship. Or he wants to take a breather. But you are correct. He rarely gets it right.
Congrats to Great Britain!! I was pulling for Aussies but I’m super happy for Murray too. He and the rest of Great Britain should win the final no matter who they play mainly cuz of how well the Murray brothers compete in doubles they’re not an amazing team but their chemistry and being brothers and all helps them do so well plus the doubles players on Belgium and Argentina aren’t that good. Not as good as Jamie Murray that’s for sure.
I’m watching Argentine v. Belgium. Was hoping it will be Belgium for the final then it will be played in Scotland (home crowd and all that). They are locked in a titanic battle which could go to five sets.
Darcie fought his way to the win in four sets after all. Yippee
Yes!! I don’t care who wins the final because I want both to win their first Davis cup. Well I know Belgium would be winning theirs I’m not sure if Great Britain has won one before. Goffin will have to play amazing in order for Belgium to somehow pull off the upset over GB. He would have to find a way to beat Murray and the location would probably have to be Belgium in order for the Belgians to really do well.
I wanted the Brits (or should I say the Scots) to have the home crowd factor which is why I was so keen for the Belgians to win. I’m very off Darcis himself for obvious reasons !!
It sounds like the court was not that great for Rafa’s game.
Murray must regret all those years that he the GB team refusing to show up for DC because GB was not in the World Group
corr.
Murray must regret all those years that he SNUBBED the GB team refusing to show up for DC because GB was not in the World Group
Steady on. He didn’t refuse to show up for years and years. On the contrary, from 2005 onwards at the age of 17 he played in both singles and doubles. He skipped one DC against Argentine in the spring of 2008 and got a lot of stick for it – including outspoken criticism from brother Jamie and a general smear campaign condemning him for prioritising his career yet at the same time sneering at him for not having won a Slam yet.
Ed, I seem to remember John Lloyd couldn’t get Andy to play and Andy saying for a long time that they need good players not just rely on him. In fact when Leon Smith became captain the British commies said maybe he could persuade Andy to play because they are friends.
You’re right Andy did beef about the responsibility for Davis Cup resting on his shoulders alone. It was at the time when vast amounts of money was being spent to bring on a bunch of youngsters at the National Tennis Centre with zero results. He was also critical of John Lloyd’s role as captain and was vociferous that the players should have more say in the choice. Not unlike Spain last year.
It’s a thorny subject. I’ve always had sympathy for all the elite players who are asked to compromise their careers (often at crucial stages) to meet the call to arms. The same thing happened to Del Potro. Federer was frequently criticised for this crime. Rafa missed many ties due to injury but it was less disastrous because of the pool of Spanish talent. The IFT have also rigged the issue by imposing punitive penalties for not playing in order to maintain their grip on the Davis Cup.
Andy has just announced he will forego the WTF in order to prepare for the DC final.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/20/andy-murray-davis-cup-great-britain-australia?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
I am puzzled it appears the final is to be played in Belgium. That was not what was implied last night.
The last time GB won the DC was in 1936; Belgium has never won it.
http://www.daviscup.com/en/statistics/champions.aspx
Hopefully GB wins the Davis Cup and so Murray will join his fellow big four guys, for helping their respective countries win the David Cup.
Yes, I am rooting for GB to win the Davis Cup and then Murray will have this title, too!
I’m rooting for BE, cause I live there (here) , go Belgium!
On another note, Rafa visited Lille yesterday to see the Spanish basketball team win the European championship , go Spain!
And yet on another note, following up on the sometimes less than warm treatment that Rafa gets from some FR fans at RG, the speaker in the Spain-Lithuania final actively asked the crowd to boo the Spanish team when they came out! The FR can’t help it…
Shireling1 (at 7:36 am),
I posted some pictures of Rafa’s visit to Lille in the Rafael Nadal – 2015 thread.
The French are not unlike the Scots in that respect. There is a long standing Scottish tradition to root for anybody except the English. It’s meant to be a joke but the English don’t get it – as Murray discovered to his cost when he cracked it during the World Football Cup. The French simply thrive on any excuse to demonstrate whether it is a cause they believe in or not.
#ViveLaDifferece
Dear Augusta,
I saw, I saw… I always make my comments on the wrong thread 🙂 my apologies!
Shireling1 ( at 9:26 am),
You misunderstood, I only meant to inform you about pictures. 🙂
Andy Murray may miss London finals for Davis Cup final
By Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent
Andy Murray is set to miss this year’s World Tour Finals if, as expected, Belgium decide to host the Davis Cup final against Great Britain on clay.
The Flanders Expo Arena in Ghent will stage the tie if the Davis Cup Committee gives its approval on Tuesday.
The Belgian Federation has two weeks to confirm its choice of surface, but has opted for clay in four of its last six home ties and may conclude it is the surface most likely to inconvenience Murray.
The World Tour Finals – on a hard court – finish at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday, 22 November, with the Davis Cup final played over three days from the following Friday.
“The O2 would obviously be a question mark for me if we were playing on the clay,” Murray told BBC Radio 5 live after sealing Britain’s place in the final.
“I would go and train and prepare on the clay to get ready for the final.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/34309163
Wow that’s dedication. Fedal would just skip the final if they know they can’t beat Nole.
filter (at 11:26 am)
Fed withdrew from the final last year..
augista08, Rafa withdrew from the final in 2012 and 2014..
September 21, 2015 at 4:05 pm
(alias hawkeye63),
Dear Fed’s rescuer, Fed played in the Davis Cup final the following week after pulling out of the final against Djoko in the ATP World Tour Finals. Rafa was out of competition for months in the end 2012 and 2014.
WTF is a glorified exhibition so no loss and no surprise really.
what isn’t a loss
Hawkeye. You and I have always been in agreement about the WTF for the same reasons. I’ve often toyed with the idea of going while it was at the O2 but always balk at the last moment. Better things to do with my time and money.
I’ll be there
I passed up an invitation to attend as a hospitality guest for both sessions on SF day when you predicted Rafa would withdraw.
As a matter of interest, are my comments under moderation because I fraternise with Hawkeye?
they aren’t moderated
Not now there’re not. But two of my posts came up as under moderation late this afternoon. It’s happened several times in recent weeks and each time has been when I am in conversation with Hawkeye. Not a problem: I was just curious.
your post probably contained a “magic” word
I thought as much. lol
I agree with Hawkeye that the WTF is an exho. The prize money and points are inflated to force the top players to turn up. 1,500 points, for what?
What do you mean what isn’t a loss?
#SelfExplanatory
Nadline: I hadn’t seen your comment when I posted at 2.08pm. Am still puzzled the venue will be Belgium. Throughout the match, and in the on-court interviews, they were saying the final would be in Scotland.
The Americans got egg on their face when they pulled the trick of choosing clay to put the Brits at a disadvantage. Fingers crossed the same happens in the final.
GB would have hosted had Argentina won.
Thanks for clearing up that mystery. Clearly everybody in the UK believed the Argentinians would win and I got my wires crossed. I don’t think many people believed Darcis could hold on either. Heroic effort on his part.
this guy did. In fact, I predicted every single match correct of the entire Davis Cup semifinal weekend. #Nostradimonus
Give yourself a very large pat on the back.
oh, i gotcha
GB has a better chance of winning the DC than Andy has of winning the WTF.
^^ Cant argue with that
Too true in fact I think Andy doesn’t have much of a chance at all if he can’t solve Novak or roger
Andy Murray has put himself on a collision course with the Association of Tennis Professionals by revealing that he would be prepared to miss November’s World Tour Finals in order to give himself the best chance of winning three points against Belgium in the Davis Cup final.
The news underlines Murray’s commitment to the British cause, for the season-ending jamboree at the O2 Arena is a lucrative business, offering £10,000 merely for attending, with an extra £100,000 on offer for each round-robin victory and a potential prize pot of more than £1.3m for a player who goes through the tournament unbeaten.
There is also the possibility that Murray could incur a significant fine for his non-attendance. “The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a mandatory event on the ATP World Tour,” said Chris Kermode, who is an old ally of Murray’s but also now the chief executive of the ATP, in a statement.
“All players who qualify, unless injured, are required to compete in the event. Andy Murray has had a fantastic season and earned his place among the world’s top eight players to compete at the season finale. We are aware of the comments made after the Davis Cup tie in Glasgow, however our expectations are that, if fully fit, Andy would compete in this year’s tournament. Unless we hear otherwise via an official withdrawal, he is still entered to compete at The O2.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/11879788/Andy-Murray-ready-to-forfeit-up-to-1.3million-by-missing-ATP-Tour-finals-and-focus-on-Davis-Cup.html
“if fully fit” being the operative phrase.
Andy just needs to cite exhaustion or back pain ala Fed and make obligatory promotional appearances et voila, no penalty.
Nothing new.
Right. Very easy to make up an injury.
Except that, if he cites injury he can’t then go to Belgium to train on clay.
Federer did.
Federer pulled out of the final of the WTF, he didn’t pull out whilst it was still going on to go and train.
No but he had the next Monday to Thursday to practise prior to his first rubber on Friday.
So will Murray.
I agree that Andy has a much better chance of winning DC than the WTF. I have never thought highly of this final year end event, but Fed fans always say that it’s just because Rafa has never won it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I think it’s just a glorified exho for the top 8 players.
However, Rafa has said that his is his goal for the year.
I am sure that Andy will be able to get himself out of the WTF without any serious consequences, since he seems so dedicated to winning DC. Good for him!
NNY: Rafa’s stated goal was to QUALIFY for the WTF. He wants to protect his Y/E ranking prior to the AO. What will be interesting is if he plays the Paris Masters. He has made no secret this is his least favourite event (4 appearances only since 2004) but a good showing there would be a welcome boost for his ranking points.
ed251137 ( at 9:45 am),
Rafa’s plans:
https://twitter.com/PauFerragut/status/645940465091657728
no WTF?
ed251137 ( at 9:45 am),
Rafa’s plans:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPf9viuWgAABLgi.png
That’s a clear a statement of intent if ever there was one. No mention of WTF. .tee, hee.
ed251137 ( at 10:38 am),
I don’t think Rafa said only one sentence in his radio interview. 🙂
I didn’t say that was all he said, did I? Equally I don’t remember him mentioning he hoped ‘to bring his best tennis to the WTF’. Correct me if I’m wrong 😉
It is an example of Nadal’s humble personality that he does not talk about playing in London before he has qualified. It would be out of character for him to do so.
Most knowledgeable fans like ed251137 seems to be can read between the unspoken words.
In the early 70’s there was a brilliant ‘fly on the wall’ documentary series directed by Roger Graef entitled ‘The Space Between Words’. Track it down on YouTube if you don’t already know it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Graef
Ricky Dimon (at 1:12 pm),
ed251137 ( at 11:39 am),
My posts at 10:03 & 10:06 am were meant as an answer to the question about the Paris Masters.
Here are Rafa’s answers 18 days ago:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPg1ShuWIAAYvtX.png
ed251137,
FYI,
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPhA_OCUwAAMgkz.png
ed,
That is what I meant to say, of course. It’s not like the WTF court surface has been favorable to Rafa’s game. I know that his goal was to stay in the top eight and qualify for this event.
ed, Rafa didn’t mention the WTF because he never takes anything for granted. He knows he has not yet qualified so he can’t say he’ll be there as a matter of fact.
This was ed’s original point I believe.
ed’s original point can be read at 10:38 am.
Exactly.
Even when at the height of his powers he never took being selected for DC for granted. He would always qualify playing DC by saying he would if he was selected.
We all know that Rafa takes nothing for granted and is always humble.
Way back in the summer Rafa stated qualifying was one of his goals for this year. Admittedly my interpretation was coloured by Ricky’s comment – at the time Rafa got to No.7 in the race – when he said Rafa would not play the WTF (i.e. even if he qualified).
My original comment was addressed to NNY in response to her post yesterday at 11.37pm from which I inferred she believed Rafa wanted to play the WTF. The WTF does not sit comfortably in his planned schedule, especially as has also confirmed he will play DC. which comes a week later. He has made it clear he wants to to be in peak condition to have a strong start early next season in order to regain the lost ground this year.
ed251137 says:
September 22, 2015 at 5:55 pm
—The WTF does not sit comfortably in his [Rafa] planned schedule, especially as has also confirmed he will play DC. which comes a week later—
=================
Last weekend, Spain secured its spot in Zone Group I for 2016 and because of that Spain won’t play any more Davis Cup matches this year!
Gussie: I must learn to keep up with the hour by hour developments! Thank goodness you are there to put me right when I get my facts wrong 🙂
But do you agree what I said would have been valid had Spain been facing the prospect of back to back WTF and Davis Cup?
While on the subject of WTF, does anyone recall the fiasco during the 2008 version of the event in Shanghai? After multiple withdrawals had left the field depleted and the reserves on site had been drafted in, a dozen or more players were approached but all declined to travel at short notice citing various reasons/excuses. They ended up flying Stepanek in (he was not even in the top 30 at the time) who happened to be on holiday not far away. If I remember correctly there were similar problems finding replacement players for the doubles.
ed251137 says:
September 22, 2015 at 8:04 pm
—But do you agree what I said would have been valid had Spain been facing the prospect of back to back WTF and Davis Cup?—
==============
It’s impossible this year. Only the DC final (World Group) will be played after WTF, no other DC matches. Spain is not in the World Group this year.
Have just browsed the Wiki page for the 2008 World Tour Cup (as it was called in those days) which I should have checked before posting the comment instead of relying on memory.
Corrections:
A total of 16 players declined to step into the breach when Roddick retired with an injury during the RR stage.
Stepanek had started 2008 at No.30 but was ranked No.26 at time of the WTC. It was Nicolas Keifer (who arrived as the alternate player) who was ranked No.35
#WristSlap
nor would they had they lost.
ed,
I make a brief summary.
.
ed251137 says:
September 22, 2015 at 9:45 am
—What will be interesting is if he plays the Paris Masters.—
=====
Rafa plans to play at the Paris Masters.
Didnt follow the conversation here, but Rafa is always on for DC except when injured. In 2008 he was injured so missed both WTF and DC final in Argentina. In 2009, his relatively bad year, he played Paris Masters (lost to Novak in the SF), WTF (lost all his RR matches) but went on to beat Berdych on clay in the DC final and Spain won the DC that year.
In 2011, he skipped Paris Masters, played poorly atWTF (won one and lost two RR matches) and went on to beat Delpo and Monaco on clay in DC final and Spain won the DC that year.
One of my very favourite Rafa moments came during an interview with a young female reporter from the BBC as he left London. I paraphrase from memory.
Q ‘How has this year been for you?’
Rafa with an adorable smile raised his eyebrow, shrugged his shoulders and replied:
‘Mostly up and down’.
Slight pause and then a rueful smile:
‘Well, mostly down.’
He went on to apologise to all his fans in London for his disappointing performance.
It was also the first time his parents had been seen together at his matches after their separation earlier that year. All in all it was a horrible year for Rafa apart from his dramatic win at the AO.
Gosh, I just love that guy… 🙂
Vamos Rafa!