[Ramsay]

Europe Group II 1st Round
Date: 01 Feb - 03 Feb 2013
Venue: CIF, Lisboa, Portugal
Start times:
Day 1: 1300 hrs (1300 hrs GMT) tbc
Day 2: 1500 hrs (1500 hrs GMT) tbc
Day 3: 1200 hrs (1200 hrs GMT) tbc
Surface: Clay

João Sousa already won against Didavi by 6-1 6-3 6-0. Relaxed tie for Portugal, which is clearly the favourite here.

Withou Frederico Gil and Gastão Elias, even Rui Machado isn't the option for play. Pedro Sousa is facing Klegou and, after a nervous start, leads by 4-6 6-1 6-4 4-1.

[Ramsay]

Pedro Sousa does it. 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-2.

Portugal 2-0 in the tie, we will probably close this out already tomorrow.

[madmax]

very predictably, looks like Portugal - Lithuania in the second round here

[156mphserve]

wait what? Portugal is in group 2?

And how did Benin get into group 2?

[out_here_grindin]

I taught at a summer tennis camp with Loic Didavi this summer. Great achievement for them to even get this far. Klegou played at Texas A&M

[andy_MUGray]

do portugal team allways play davis cup ties in the same arena and on the same courts ?

[Ramsay]

Originally Posted by madmax

very predictably, looks like Portugal - Lithuania in the second round here

Yeah, and the match will be in Portugal, in clay. Probably with Gil back, Machado in better conditions and maybe Gastão Elias. Much more interesting tie, but Portugal is the favourite.

Originally Posted by 156mphserve

wait what? Portugal is in group 2?

And how did Benin get into group 2?

Sadly, yes. Our players weren't at their best shape last year and we played always away in hard courts. But we're a level up than all the other teams of Group II.

Originally Posted by andy_MUGray

do portugal team allways play davis cup ties in the same arena and on the same courts ?

No, this CIF in Lisbon wasn't used on last 20 years. For the most important ties we generally use the Centralito, in Estoril.

[andy_MUGray]

but i dont understand what is wrong with draw in 2nd group, its not normal. for example, if Cyprus want to win 3 ties this year, they should win ALL OF THEM PLAYING AWAY! with no games at home. and now Bosnia&Herzogovina - they would play them all at home its not normal draw system.

[andy_MUGray]

the same with Latvia, who should play all 3 ties Away and Ireland, who would play all 3 ties at home this draw system is fucking joke

[156mphserve]

Originally Posted by andy_MUGray

but i dont understand what is wrong with draw in 2nd group, its not normal. for example, if Cyprus want to win 3 ties this year, they should win ALL OF THEM PLAYING AWAY! with no games at home. and now Bosnia&Herzogovina - they would play them all at home its not normal draw system.

It makes total sense, if you played a team before in the history of davis cup you play them in the opposite place that you played them last time. If you haven't played them before it's random.

This isn't like football where you play a home and away and go by highest aggerate. Or hockey/basketball/baseball where you play a best of 7 where one team gets 4 home, one gets 3 home.

In Davis Cup There's only 1 tie and someone has to be at home. You can't just play the higher seed at home everytime then the lower seeds will never get revenue from home ties and improve from this revenue. How do you suggest they do it?

[156mphserve]

also what you've said is all wrong. Cyprus would be home to Portugal, . Latvia would be home to Bulgaria, Estonic, and Finland. Ireland would be on the road to Belarus, Bulgaria, or Tunisia

[nolesfan2011]

Yea I know him too, really nice guy, wish he had won

Originally Posted by out_here_grindin

I taught at a summer tennis camp with Loic Didavi this summer. Great achievement for them to even get this far. Klegou played at Texas A&M

[andy_MUGray]

Originally Posted by 156mphserve

also what you've said is all wrong. Cyprus would be home to Portugal, . Latvia would be home to Bulgaria, Estonic, and Finland. Ireland would be on the road to Belarus, Bulgaria, or Tunisia

i know about H2H factor, but its possible that 1 team would play ALL 3 TIES AT HOME! for example Portugal. Now they beat Benin at home, later they will play against Lithuania, and again it will be in Portugal. in 3rd round they could also get a team, with which they last DC tie played AWAY, so now it would be in Portugal so we would have 3 ties at Portugal this year. Its not normal system. Its possible. We just can wait and on september we would see if this prospect would be possible

[andy_MUGray]

i checked older years and bingo in 2012 last year this happened with Poland. THEY PLAYED ALL 3 TIES AT HOME !! come on, this fucking bullshit.
http://www.daviscup.com/en/results/g...pe-africa.aspx
i didnt check older ties, i just needed 1 exmple that this system is fucking bullshit. 1 team has SO BIG ADVANTAGE. i think we all understand how important is to play at home courts, you can choose more suitable surface etc. this system in 3rd group is piece of shit.

[andy_MUGray]

in 2011 great britain and Denmark, team which promoted to higher group, played all 3 ties at home its fucking joke