The Davis Cup quarterfinals are taking place around the world this weekend, when Novak Djokovic will make his return to the tennis court after losing early in Indian Wells and missing the next Masters 1000 event in Miami. Djokovic and the rest of his Serbian squad are hosting a Spanish side that is without Rafael Nadal. Perhaps the most intriguing tie features the United States and Australia, a battle that is highlighted by in-form competitors Jack Sock and Nick Kyrgios.
Preview and predictions:
United States vs. Australia
Where: Brisbane, Australia
Surface: Outdoor hard
Nothing, of course, is ever certain in Davis Cup—but this one has a good chance of all coming down to the doubles rubber. Kyrgios is ranked one spot below Sock (No. 16 and No. 15, respectively), but he is playing so well right now that he will be favored against both Sock (in a potential fourth rubber on Sunday) and John Isner (in Friday’s second rubber). Fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson is the least accomplished of the four singles nominees and will be a considerable underdog against Sock and Isner. With the Bryan brothers having retired from team duty, the Americans could go in any number of directions with their doubles duo. It may not matter, because John Peers and Sam Groth are a daunting pair for the Aussies.
Pick: Australia 3, United States 1
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Great Britain vs. France
Where: Rouen, France
Surface: Indoor clay
Neither team has its ‘A’ player (or players, plural) on board this week. Andy Murray is out for Great Britain after skipping the Miami Masters because of an elbow injury. France is without Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Gilles Simon. The good news for France is that no nation is deeper in men’s singles. If each country needed more than handful of players for every tie, the Frenchmen would win the Davis Cup every single year. Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy are coming to the rescue in Rouen, where Brits Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans may fail to find their footing on clay. This could be a clean sweep; giving Great Britain even one point (likely from Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in doubles) is somewhat generous.
Pick: France 3, Great Britain 1
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Spain vs. Serbia
Where: Belgrade, Serbia
Surface: Indoor hard
It is safe to say the Djokovic is a question mark, given that he has played only six completed matches since the Australian Open. A possible elbow injury does not help matters. The good news for the world No. 2 is that he does not have to face Nadal this weekend—and not even Roberto Bautista Agut or Fernando Verdasco. Spain is going with Pablo Carreno Busta and Albert Ramos Vinolas in singles, while Serbia is well-stocked with Djokovic and Viktor Troicki. Marc Lopez will likely play doubles with Carreno Busta, giving Spain a formidable duo. Still, Nenad Zimonjic and any other Serb will have a good chance to take Saturday’s rubber.
Pick: Serbia 3, Spain 0
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Italy vs. Belgium
Where: Charleroi, Belgium
Surface: Indoor hard
An in-form Fabio Fognini is the only thing that could save the Italians from doom and gloom in Belgium. In form was exactly what Fognini was in Miami, where he made a run to the semifinals before losing to Nadal. But wrist and foot issues (and his “brain,” according to Andreas Seppi) have knocked him out of this tie, so Italy is turning to Seppi and Poalo Lorenzi in singles. The visitors are staring at an especially difficult test because the Belgians, who finished runner-up in 2015, are loaded with David Goffin and “Mr. Davis Cup” Steve Darcis. Simone Bolelli (and likely Seppi) should be able to bag the doubles point for Italy, but it won’t be enough.
Pick: Belgium 3, Italy 1
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ooh, Spain seems to be headed for 0-5! I had hopes of PCB.
Yep, afraid one of my picks (Serbia v Spain 5 – zip) is correct for a change. My theory is that some players play over their heads in DC and some play well under. Afraid PCB is one of the latter. Rafa consistently plays his best when he’s playing as part of a Spanish team, either DC or Olympics. I don’t think it’s a problem with desire, heart or effort (usually). Just the way the player reacts to the atmosphere.
Lucky,
“Rafa is of the same generation as Djoko, Murray, Delpo, Cilic, Monfils, Almagro…”
Now lets take a look when these guys turned pro, one thing must remember we must think players time periods in terms of when they turn pro, not when they start playing slams, turning Pro means its upto you when you are capable of playing slams after turning pro. So according to Lucky:
Rafa turned pro in 2001 and delpo in 2005 —
4 years GAP but according to lucky they belong to same era —
Rafa in 2001 and Murray in 2005 —
4 years GAP but according to lucky they belong to same era —
Rafa in 2001 and cilic in 2005 —
4 years GAP but according to lucky they belong to same era —
So, according to lucky, players with 4 years GAPS should be same generation.
But now look at following:
Federer turned pro in 1998 and Rafa in 2001 —
3 years GAP but according to lucky they belong to DIFFERENT era/generation, so lucky contradicting his opinion in STYLE, because if, according to lucky, Delpo and Nadal are same generations with 4 years Gap but how on earth then Federer and Nadal can be different generations consideribg their GAP from being turned into PRO is only 3 years.
And
Now at another funny logic of lucky:
Roddic turned pro in 2000 and Rafa in 2001 and Federer in 1998 —
Only 1 year GAP between Roddic and Nadal but according to lucky they belong to DIFFERENT era/generation, but Federer and Roddic with 2 years GAP of their turning Pro, but lucky thinks that Federer and Roddic belong to same eras..so lucky again contradicting his opinion in SUPER INCONSISTENT STYLE.
Look how smartly Lucky isolate and distribute Rafa in time periods when we talk about time intervals/eras on tennis.
HOW many times……
I know you will again come up with another set of funny assumptions where Rafa suits best, further digging your logic to correct Rafa …but I think I should stop here, or may be thinking about leaving the site because I feel this platform has almost one-sided people where even the greatest gury on earth can not CONVINCE them.
The thing is people here are dying to make Nadal SUPERIOR to anyother player in the history of tennis at any cost by bringing useless concept of weak eras, superiority, peak/prime contradictions, injury/slump stories etc instead of appreciating what these incredible legends have done and are doing for tennis. I think we should stop degrading the players’ achievements based on sloppy logics and instead make sure how they will do in future and appreciate their future achievements.
I have alwas been a Federer fan, but Non-hater Rafa. I have truly respect for Rafa. In fact, in my opinion, Rafa is the greatest clay court player of all time, and I think Rafa is probabily the only player who is closer to get the status of being ‘almost UNBEATABLE’ on a particular surface and if it not for Federer, I would love to see Rafa clinching 10th French open, it would be such a beautiful for tennis to get that feat.
Anyways, I would put the end of discussion regarding eras, time periods and peak/prime here. I think its just a wastage of time to put our time on never ending arguments on these topics, because the chance is no ONE will ever convince.
If you look at the year one turns pro then of course Rafa who started at 15 would be earlier than most guys around his age. The same could be said of Djoko, who turned pro in 2003, so by your logic, he also belonged to Roddick’s generation. Murray turned pro in 2005 so he belonged to Djoko’s generation, therefore he is/was also from the Roddick generation, and so is/was of Fed’s generation. The way you do it, every one belongs to the same generation!
There must be some reference point for us to determine each generation, be it age, age gap, year turned pro etc and etc. I don’t think there’s any hard and fast rule, but generally a five year age gap is wide enough to separate two generations of players. Year one turns pro too, again that depends on the cutoff point. For e.g., turning pro during 1996-2000 could be classed as one gen; 2001 to 2005 another. I do feel dividing a decade into two five year period with proper cutoff at the five year mark would make it easy for most people to compare gen with gen.
There are/were some players who played in the main tour shortly after turning pro, Fed for e.g., turned pro in mid 1998 but by 1999 was already playing in the main tour. It took Rafa and Djoko more time (about one and a half years) after turning pro, before they played in the main tour (Rafa turned pro in 2001, played in main tour in 2003; Djoko 2003 and 2005), as they were of much younger age (than when Fed turned pro for e.g.) when they started out.
Whether we use age, year one turned pro, or year one started playing in the main tour, imo Fed and Rafa should be from and of two generations, when we apply proper cut off date under each category.
I don’t think many here have doubts regarding Fed’s greatness. Whether it’s a weak or strong era an ATG plays in, he would still be able to rise to the top. It’s a matter of winning the titles and the top position a bit easier or a bit harder.
Fed has played long enough in the main tour to prove the point, that he’s an ATG, having being through weak and strong eras and staying relevant for so long now.
Asif APRIL 7, 2017 AT 3:14 PM
Lucky,
“So you can see how weak the field was in 2005, when a 19 yo who’s great on clay but done nothing at the non clay slams could reach no.2 in the rankings!”
*****************************************
Done nothing at non-clay events? He beat the #1 player in Miami on h/c at the age of 17. What more do you want?
Beaten by the no.1 player at Miami that year! Knocked out in R4 at AO; R3 at USO!
Knocked out in R2 at Wimbledon that year.
Nadal is the greatest clay court player ever + he used his match-up advantage against the GOAT to get into his mind and decimated the GOAT mentally and weakened him to a point where base-line contortionists and retrievers like Djokovic used it to their advantage to beat the GOAT after the GOAT turned 29. But the fault also lies with Roger in refusing to accept that he had to leave the base-line and move inside of it to beat grinders on slower courts. Maybe Roger should play only volleys, swing volleys and half volleys which only, with his talent, he can do.
That Nadal has been off form for years losing to many players below his ranking is conveniently ignored. Whereas when in form, Rafa was undefeated at slams vs Fed on all surfaces for nine straight years. Fed couldn’t compete.
Doesn’t fit the fedfawn’s narrative.
A well formed example of confirmatory bias.
#KavitasWorld
With only Fed can do?? Well those who played in the S&V era certainly could do all those, so please don’t elevate him to such an extent as if what he can do is/are unique!
If anything Rafa and Murray, who haven’t the chance to play during the S&V era, are very impressive because they do pick up very good volleying skills despite not having much chances to put them into good use.
If the courts are slow, whatever volleying or net rushing Fed is going to do would not help him against Rafa or Djoko; it’s only on the quicker courts that Fed can have his chances e.g. Cincy, Dubai.
Djoko had already beaten Fed in 2007, 2008, 2009 before Fed turned 29 and Djoko back then wasn’t even his V2 self yet. Murray was also beating Fed since 2006 even though he didn’t beat Fed at a slam. I don’t see how Rafa ‘helped’ them to beat Fed when they were good enough to do so playing their own games.
Why do we have to debate these things. Let’s just accept king of clay Rafa and ageless Fed are amazing. And even better they are the two best players of 2017. Friggin crazy man
What? Common sense on a tennis forum? Unheard of! But it works for me. 🙂 I love Rafa. I admire Federer. Both are all time greats. Both have stepped up to be everything champions should be on and off the court. I have no complaints about Andy and Novak either. Tennis has been truly blessed to have the Big Four. Sterling sportsmen and competitors.
Agree Ramara and Benny G!!
Benny,
Best comment I have read! Yes!
Let’s appreciate these two great champions and be grateful that we were privileged to watch them play!
Asif seems to be a Fed zealot. Imagine writing such lengthy posts! Hope he is ok and not like David Foster Wallace who wrote about Fed as a religious experience.
Its not about federer fascination. You might have seen I write once in a blue moon when I feel free. Not a regular writer. Just an occasional writer. Sometimes it is necessary to write lengthy stuff to counter some nonsense. Rest is nothing special about Federer. You might wonder if I like 60 percent about Fed, I like 40 per cent about Rafa. When not playing against Nafal, I love to cheer Rafa most of the time.
In fact, its not me who always write lengthy stuff, its Rafans here who have been practicing “RAFAism” over the years. And if some Fed fan sometimes writes about Fed you guys seem to have annoyed about it. Strange!
Oh, I am not annoyed if people write about Fed. It is when they write that results on clay are not relevant. Also I don’t have the patience to read lengthy posts whether posted by Fedfawns or Rafans.
Good to know you think you are not like David F Wallace. DFW as you might or might not know was an unstable but talented writer who finally committed suicide ( was it because of the h2h?)
Marc Lopez and PCB putting up a fight but Spain still headed to 0-5!
Serbia won the tie. Do not know whether they will play the dead rubbers.
Serbia will lose to France in the next round and Belgium will lose to Australia with Australia eventually winning the cup.
At least Rafa doesn’t have to worry about DC for this season. He’s won it 4 times and doesn’t need it.
USA, 3-1….and watch out for the Belgians!!!
pretty sure USA 3-1 is not gonna happen!!!!
Lol!!!
Mahut wins shot of the day 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=44&v=LlFXeEgU66I
Well Kyrgios gives another motivated couple of performances, this time at DC home tie. Good wins for the Aussie youngsters. That was huge for Thompson and Sock must feel he’s to blame for the loss as a whole. I mean he was obviously huge in getting the USA the doubles point but current form suggested Jack would cruise. That loss is a pretty tough one for him. Anyways Kyrgios was awesome out there. Really thrived with the crowd behind him and it really seemed to mean a lot to him as he took the Aussies through to the semifinals. They have a great shot at winning the whole Davis Cup, and I’m rooting for them to do so.
Just endured the depressing sight of seeing France convincingly outplay the Brits in Rouen. The writing was on the wall from the outset such is the depth of talent Yannick Noah can call upon and how woefully dependent the British camp are on Andy Murray’s presence. The only match of high quality the whole weekend was the doubles on Saturday when the British team at least managed to take a set.
ed,
Sorry that the Brits had a tough time against the French. It’s a shame that Andy is out with an injury. There is a lot of talent and depth with the French.
Here’s hoping Andy is back soon healthy again!
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