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The Everything Davis Cup Thread (News, Articles, Live Scores)

162K views 2K replies 71 participants last post by  Armstrong2000 
#1 ·
I thought I'd start a new thread focused entirely on cheering on Australia back into the world group. They have just chosen Brisbane as the venue for our upcoming tie against Japan and its going to be played on clay! Should be interesting to see how our boys go on the dirt, obviously Luczak will feel right at home but Tomic, Ball, Gooch and co may struggle. I think Lleyton may be fit in time for the tie so the most logical team at this stage would be Hewitt and Luczak in the singles and Ball and Hanley/Gooch for the doubles.

I can't see Japan hurting us to badly especially if Rusty is fit and ready. Nishikori's elbow is still bothering him and if he somehow manages to play he will have no matchplay. Soeda is solid but I don't how he would fare on clay? May give Pete a tough match. Ito is their top ranked player at 201 but he has had a pretty poor start to the year and only just got the job done against the Phillipines, winning his last match in 5 sets. Suzuki is there darkhorse, he can still turn it on when he gets going.

Summing this up, we should progress here rather comfortably either 4-1 or 5-0 i'll predict.
 
#309 ·
I think it is a tough draw. Not only because of the likely surface choice, but I also wonder how much a factor an away crowd/atmosphere will affect someone like Bernard since this would be his first important away DC tie... Hopefully Lleyton will be healthy and able to play.
 
#312 ·
Rafter's comments...

“It was a tough draw to get Germany in Germany but by no means is it not winnable,” said Rafter following the announcement.

“Sure, we will go in as underdogs, but I back our guys to produce their best when representing their country. No one thought we would even come close against Switzerland in Sydney last year.”

“Don’t underestimate how much these guys want to win their way back into the World Group. We have already started planning for the September play-off and I am excited by the prospect of taking on the Germans on what I expect will be an indoor clay court.”
http://www.tennis.com.au/news/2012/04/12/rafter-already-preparing-for-world-group-play-off
 
#319 ·
Most likely but if one gets injured having Ebden over Matosevic as the backup is a little stupid, especially on clay. Bloody hell, I mgiht pick Guccione on clay over Ebden. Hopefully this means Marinko can go get refreshed and have a good asian swing but surely he must be scratching his head over this one. As you said it doesn't really matter but it's more about the principle of picking the best players for the team.
 
#321 ·
Yeah and Guccione is getting some great results lately ?

Not sure in MMM is flavour of the month over at TA, he doesn't always toe the party line, so would not get picked on that basis.
 
#323 ·
DAVIS Cup captain Pat Rafter has blasted another underperforming Australian tennis player while sparring Bernard Tomic the chop from his squad for next week's World Group playoff in Germany.

Tomic was named in the five-man team, but world No.63 Marinko Matosevic was dumped in another clear warning that Rafter will no longer tolerate sub-standard form or poor conduct.

Rafter ordered Tomic to "to pull his socks up" after branding the youngster's second-round US Open display against Andy Roddick as "disgraceful".

Tired of Tomic not putting in the hard yards, Rafter delivered the dual grand slam junior champion a Davis Cup ultimatum: shape up or ship out.

And after serving Tomic the riot act, Rafter followed up with the exiling of Matosevic until the Australian No.2 also lifts his game - and attitude.

"Marinko didn't deal with things too well in the last tie, so we'd prefer not to pick him for this one," Rafter told AAP.

"He just didn't handle the situation very well."

Apart from being unimpressed with the 27-year-old on court as he struggled to a three-set win over Korea's unranked Min-Hyeok Cho in Brisbane in April, Rafter is also understood to have clashed with Matosevic off court.

Matosevic was also dropped after losing to China's world No.206 Wing Du on debut in July last year.

As a result, he sat out Australia's Asia-Oceania qualifier against China in February and was believed to have been upset at Rafter for apparently recalling him for the April tie against Korea only when Hewitt was recovering from foot surgery.

The pair are then believed to have been involved in an angry exchange after Australia secured their World Group playoff against Germany with victory over the Koreans.

Rafter said Matosevic "just needs to reflect on how that tie unfolded and the situation he didn't deal with".

"And he's got to learn to be able to deal with those situations before he can play again in the team,'' he said.

Asked if he would get another chance, Rafter said: "I hope so. He's our No.2 player at the moment and he's potentially a very good player.

"He hasn't won a match in grand slams yet either, so he needs to learn to step up in the big matches."

From two sets up, Rafter rued Matosevic's inability to close out victory over world No.13 Marin Cilic in the first round of the US Open last week.

Rafter said the 71st-ranked Matt Ebden, who lost heavily in the second round to French 32nd seed Jeremy Chardy, was also still learning to compete with the game's elite.

"These (international) guys are world-class players and they're not there yet," Rafter said.

With world No.43 Tomic, Australia's only top-50 player, Rafter had no choice but to pick the 19-year-old alongside Hewitt, Ebden, rookie James Duckworth and doubles hopeful Chris Guccione to face Germany in Hamburg from September 14-16.

But the frustrated skipper is offering Tomic no guarantees and says even Duckworth "shouldn't be discounted" as a singles option alongside Hewitt.

"Ducky's just a good, hard-working kid with a great attitude," Rafter said. "I want him to be available to put himself out there to have a go."
 
#324 ·
Is there something more to the Matosevic thing? Seems pretty ridiculous that Rafter and he can't get over an angry exchange. How is he meant to go and learn how to deal with those sort of those of situations if he isn't playing in the Davis Cup environment?
 
#329 ·
Pat is turning into a stubborn old man it seems, granted MM hasn't played very well in previous DC chances but you just have too look at form the last few months to see who should be picked, and especially the clay result, MM didn't play much on clay this year but had a QF in Munich while Ebden ddin't win a set in a bout 6 different matches ont he stuff. Would love to know the full story here.
 
#332 ·
What the fuckery is going on here?

Matosevic being left out of the tie? I'm absolutely shocked. STUNNED. Sorry, but our stocks aren't good enough to be pissing of players to 'send a message'. What has Guccione done to earn his spot? Apart from be Lleytons lapdog on tour all year round. Surprised Luczak didn't get a call either then I guess. What the fuckworth is Duckworth doing there?

If behaviour or attitude is the reason for this omission then :lol: There's NO WAY that Marinko's attitude, or anyones attitude, could be worse than Bernard :lol:
 
#338 ·
I think Duckworth's spot is more for just for experience even though Pat made that weird comment saying he was a shot of making the team, there is no way he would put him in there.

Guccione is there because him and Lleyton make a great doubles team and have had great results. he would have a much better doubles ranking if he was playing more often on the tour but injuries and trying to get that singles ranking has been more of his priority (although his singles career looks about over). Guccione is a fine chocie.

Ebden over Matosevic has my head spinning. I wonder if Pat even watched the Cilic match, he's trying to find players who fight hard for his country after Tomic's disaster the other night. He took a guy who is arguably a level or two above him to 5 sets and had an incredibly tight tussle in the 5th. Puts all his effort on court to me and then you look at Ebden's clay results and even his form on the hardcourts this American swing and you just have to wonder what drugs Pat is taking.
 
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