In the 2014 Davis Cup first round, the United States had the benefit of home-court advantage against Great Britain. It was all right there for the Americans to advance, having put the visitors out of their comfort zone on a clay surface.
Unfortunately for Team USA, it is similarly uncomfortable on the slow stuff and it was also without an injured John Isner. Try as they might, Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and the Bryan brothers went down to the British side 3-1.
After Andy Murray kicked things off by beating Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, the truly decisive match came in the form of James Ward’s 1-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 upset of Querrey. Bob and Mike Bryan kept the tie alive thanks to a doubles win over Colin Fleming and Dominic Inglot, but Murray finished off the home team with a four-set win at Querrey’s expense.
The rematch is set for round one–again–but this time Great Britain will host the festivities on an indoor hard court in Glasgow, Scotland.
Team GB is going with the same singles lineup of Murray and Ward, who are now joined by Inglot and Jamie Murray. Early indications are that the Murray brothers will partner each other for the doubles rubber. Isner is healthy this year, so he is in while an injured Querrey is out. The remainder of Team USA is unchanged, as Young played his way onto the roster thanks to stellar showings in Memphis (semifinals) and Delray Beach (runner-up).
“It helps,” Murray said of confidence from having won the 2014 tie. “I know Isner wasn’t able to play. Also it was on clay and I did say at the time I thought it was a strange surface choice, which I thought favored us, really. Obviously an indoor hard court is a quite neutral surface for everyone. It will be tough if they are all fit and well. It will be a tough one for us to win, but it’s possible.”
Young retired from his opening match in Acapulco against Ryan Harrison, but captain Jim Courier assured it was nothing more than a precautionary measure.
“That injury was one of those makeup injuries that you have to do because the tour requires a reason,” he said in a Tennis Channel interview with Mark Knowles and Tracy Austin.
Courier added that Steve Johnson was in the mix for a No. 2 singles spot, but Young edged him out based on his outstanding current form. With a little more time in his comeback from an injury-plagued 2014 campaign, Ryan Harrison may also have thrown his hat into the ring. Harrison already has a Challenger title to his credit this year and he made a run to the Acapulco semifinals as a qualifier before falling to David Ferrer in three sets.
“I personally feel I’m ready to be back on the team,” Harrison commented, “but I understand I need a few more months of consistent results to be trusted in the situation.”
The current foursome cannot be trusted with complete confidence as it stands right now; not with Isner and the Bryans in the midst of relative slumps and a somewhat inexperienced No. 2 singles player in Young. Of course, nobody gave Great Britain much of a chance last year and look what happened….
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This will be a closely contested DC tie, but I like the US, 3-2.