Davis Cup Friday Features Moya Cooking Fish, Nadal Revenge Versus Roddick
Posted on December 3, 2004The uphill U.S. climb for the Davis Cup begins today in Seville when Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish take to the foreign red clay against former French Open champion Carlos Moya and 18-year-old Spanish prodigy Rafael Nadal.
The opening singles is Moya versus Fish, with the American leading their career encounters 2-1, all on hardcourt. Viewed as an almost impossible task, Fish will need to temper his nest-rushing game while swinging freely (and accurately) from the baseline to overcome Moya, who will be looking to set up the big forehand throughout the match.
Following will be Roddick versus Nadal, a repeat of their first encounter a few months back at the US Open where the American blasted the deer-in-the-headlights teenager 6-0, 6-3, 6-4. This time it will be Nadal as home on the slow dirt in front of a record-setting crowd, no doubt working the Roddick backhand during the long rallies.
Nadal at 18 years, 185 days is the second-youngest player to compete in a Davis Cup final live rubber after Boris Becker, who at 18 years, 30 days played for the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1985 final, losing to Sweden.
FOLDHERE
The choice of Nadal by the "G3" (Spain's three coaches) drew gasps during the draw ceremony Thursday, putting former No. 1 and French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero on the sidelines until at least Sunday.
"The decision was a decision made by the three captains together after surveying the players during the week, during the training sessions," said Jordi Arrese, who explained that Ferrero hadn't had adequate practice time with a blister on his hand.
The choice was also a shocker for Roddick, who will have to adjust his strategy for the young lefty.
"Personally I was expecting to play Ferrero," Roddick said. "You know, that being said, we have a lefty practice partner, one of the youngsters, I've been practicing with him a little bit this week, just in case."
What Roddick can't practice for is playing in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a tour-sanctioned match. 600 more tickets were made available for the final as of Thursday, boosting the record-setting capacity to 27,200.
Ferrero, also expecting to play Friday, bit his tongue Thursday after the draw announcement.
"When I close my eyes of course I want to see myself on court on Sunday and I want to see myself winning on Sunday," said Ferrero, who ranking in 2004 dropped out of the Top 30 after a season of injury and illness. "Of course I felt a bit surprised by the decision but one has to accept it."
U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe's tight-knit group has been bunkered-down this week, facing the prospect of a legendarily-vocal world-record Spanish crowd, and competing on the team's worst surface. McEnroe has also had to deflect criticism for his choice of fast-court player Fish over baseline grinder Vince Spadea, but has chosen to remain with the core players that took him to the final. Word out of Spain is that Fish also beat Spadea in practice, sealing the deal.
"We have guys that really have grasped the team concept of what Davis Cup is and felt that that was important," Pat Mac said. "I haven't really honestly had to do too much because they're all such a positive group of guys that really want to play and support each other."
At No. 19, Spadea is ranked higher than the No. 37-ranked Fish, and widely considered a better claycourt player.
"We are lucky to have Vince here and he's played great and he's really pushed our guys in practice," Pat Mac said. "But at the end of the day, I still felt that Mardy gave us the best chance to win a match here."
Spadea danced around the question when asked by a reporter if he had been given a "fair shake" by Pat Mac.
"I'm here as an American supporting the United States of America," Spadea said. "I got through passport control and I'm here ready to win a Davis Cup. That's as far as I can address these comments...I wasn't expecting to win a practice match and all of a sudden earn my spot. I just felt it was a feel kind of thing. Patrick has to live with his decision. There's another day tomorrow. We'll see what happens. I'm hopeful that we win."
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. starters can adopt a claycourt mentality in Seville, or successfully "hit through" the slow red clay en route to what would be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, upset in a Davis Cup final.
Adding to the slow conditions were heavy rains in Seville on Wednesday and Thursday. While Roddick and the Bryan brothers have not dropped a Davis Cup match this year, Spain has won its last 11 home ties on the red.
"We just have to focus on what we do," Pat Mac said. "It's still played on a court, the dimensions are the same, et cetera. But, you know, as you hear from the guys, they've been preparing mentally for it for a while."
The opening singles is Moya versus Fish, with the American leading their career encounters 2-1, all on hardcourt. Viewed as an almost impossible task, Fish will need to temper his nest-rushing game while swinging freely (and accurately) from the baseline to overcome Moya, who will be looking to set up the big forehand throughout the match.
Following will be Roddick versus Nadal, a repeat of their first encounter a few months back at the US Open where the American blasted the deer-in-the-headlights teenager 6-0, 6-3, 6-4. This time it will be Nadal as home on the slow dirt in front of a record-setting crowd, no doubt working the Roddick backhand during the long rallies.
Nadal at 18 years, 185 days is the second-youngest player to compete in a Davis Cup final live rubber after Boris Becker, who at 18 years, 30 days played for the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1985 final, losing to Sweden.
FOLDHERE
The choice of Nadal by the "G3" (Spain's three coaches) drew gasps during the draw ceremony Thursday, putting former No. 1 and French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero on the sidelines until at least Sunday.
"The decision was a decision made by the three captains together after surveying the players during the week, during the training sessions," said Jordi Arrese, who explained that Ferrero hadn't had adequate practice time with a blister on his hand.
The choice was also a shocker for Roddick, who will have to adjust his strategy for the young lefty.
"Personally I was expecting to play Ferrero," Roddick said. "You know, that being said, we have a lefty practice partner, one of the youngsters, I've been practicing with him a little bit this week, just in case."
What Roddick can't practice for is playing in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a tour-sanctioned match. 600 more tickets were made available for the final as of Thursday, boosting the record-setting capacity to 27,200.
Ferrero, also expecting to play Friday, bit his tongue Thursday after the draw announcement.
"When I close my eyes of course I want to see myself on court on Sunday and I want to see myself winning on Sunday," said Ferrero, who ranking in 2004 dropped out of the Top 30 after a season of injury and illness. "Of course I felt a bit surprised by the decision but one has to accept it."
U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe's tight-knit group has been bunkered-down this week, facing the prospect of a legendarily-vocal world-record Spanish crowd, and competing on the team's worst surface. McEnroe has also had to deflect criticism for his choice of fast-court player Fish over baseline grinder Vince Spadea, but has chosen to remain with the core players that took him to the final. Word out of Spain is that Fish also beat Spadea in practice, sealing the deal.
"We have guys that really have grasped the team concept of what Davis Cup is and felt that that was important," Pat Mac said. "I haven't really honestly had to do too much because they're all such a positive group of guys that really want to play and support each other."
At No. 19, Spadea is ranked higher than the No. 37-ranked Fish, and widely considered a better claycourt player.
"We are lucky to have Vince here and he's played great and he's really pushed our guys in practice," Pat Mac said. "But at the end of the day, I still felt that Mardy gave us the best chance to win a match here."
Spadea danced around the question when asked by a reporter if he had been given a "fair shake" by Pat Mac.
"I'm here as an American supporting the United States of America," Spadea said. "I got through passport control and I'm here ready to win a Davis Cup. That's as far as I can address these comments...I wasn't expecting to win a practice match and all of a sudden earn my spot. I just felt it was a feel kind of thing. Patrick has to live with his decision. There's another day tomorrow. We'll see what happens. I'm hopeful that we win."
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. starters can adopt a claycourt mentality in Seville, or successfully "hit through" the slow red clay en route to what would be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, upset in a Davis Cup final.
Adding to the slow conditions were heavy rains in Seville on Wednesday and Thursday. While Roddick and the Bryan brothers have not dropped a Davis Cup match this year, Spain has won its last 11 home ties on the red.
"We just have to focus on what we do," Pat Mac said. "It's still played on a court, the dimensions are the same, et cetera. But, you know, as you hear from the guys, they've been preparing mentally for it for a while."