What’s Not on Live TV: Tursunov Beats Roddick to Clinch Russian Davis Cup Win

by Sean Randall | September 24th, 2006, 10:26 am
  • 8 Comments

Nothing like waking up here in the U.S., flip on the tube to watch the U.S. vs. Russia Davis Cup match only to find it’s not on. Well, maybe it was over I thought, but no! After checking the internet I find it’s not only still going but that it’s 10-10 in the fifth between Andy Roddick and Dmitry Tursunov. Wow.

OLN or “Versus” or whatever that crap network is called is apparently showing that match/the tie on tape delay at 2pm ET. Nice effort. Why would anyone want to watch that live when you got taped duck hunting going on? Well done OLN/USTA. I can see why Argentina-Australia, the other Davis Cup semifinal, is not being broadcast – though i here those with the Tennis Channel could watch that live Friday. ADHEREL

But figuring I’m in the U.S., it’s a big tie against Russia. Our big boys are playing, their big boys are playing. It’s the semifinals. Must be on the tube live.


Not happening.

Yeah, so just show it tape at 2pm, that’ll work for fans. Like all five of them who don’t have the internet – not like you can’t get the score in advance these days…

Well I did get the score, and the fifth set turned out to be quite the cracker as they say. Roddick apparently served for the match at 6-5 before getting broken for the first time since the second set. Tursunov then had two breakers/MPs of his own with Roddick serving 15-40 at 12-13 (I think). Roddick saved the two MPs there and then another in that game to escape.

As best I could tell via the online scoring no further break points were had until Tursunov closed it out on his fourth MP breaking Roddick to win 17-15 and clinch Russia’s win over the U.S, 4-1.

The final match scoreline: 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 in 4 hours, 48 minutes. Congrats to Dmitry for stepping on his least favorite surface.

So where was Russian No. 1 Nikolay Davydenko, who was scheduled to make an appearance today? After playing like 75 straight weeks Niko reportedly came down with an illness. Imagine that, someone getting sick after traveling from NYC to China to Russia all within 10 days. Youzhny, Davydenko’s replacement, was reportedly tired from the back-to-back Friday, Saturday play, and so enter the new Russian hero Dmitry Tursunov, the bombing blonde blogger from Northern Cal. Go figure, but that’s why ya gotta love Davis Cup.

Russia now hosts Argentina for the Davis Cup title in December. Argentina trounced the Lleyton Hewitt and his visiting Aussie squad this weekend 3-0. Don’t look for Russia to keep the sand for the finale against Nalbandian and Co. Knowing Russia, they’ll probably just put up a net and draw some lines on an ice rink. Hopefully I can watch that one…


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8 Comments for What’s Not on Live TV: Tursunov Beats Roddick to Clinch Russian Davis Cup Win

Giner Says:

Hilarious stuff Sean.


Jura Gorohovsky Says:

We didn’t have any live broadcast here in Russia either. The major national sports channel has been showcasing basketball WC and local ice hockey matches. Not quite duck hunting, but anyway..
What can one require from our TV channels if a commissioning manager at a leading government-controlled news channel has to fight for a chance to cover the way Sharapova advanced to US Open final since her chief thinks it’s only of interest to Sharapova herself!


Funner Says:

Saw the taped version; teenaged Russian girls supporting Roddick while everyone else rooting for Tursunov… Thrilling atmosphere, thriller of a match. Roddick showed amazing fighting qualities and clearly he’s a changed man from before Connors’ coaching. He’s much more likeable now even if he’s losing some important matches because he fights till the last point. Same with Tursunov.

They learned something from Federer and Nadal, it seems.


Kamaraj Retnasami Says:

It’s shocking that those matches weren’t shown live in both the U.S. and Russia! I live in one of the smallest and most meaningless countries in the world (Mauritius Island) and I still got to see the matches LIVE over here (thanks to the Sport+ channel from France).


Ester Says:

lol, over in here is Australia they showed the U.S VS Russia match LIVE and the didn’t even show the Australia VS Argentina match.


sundae1 Says:

i live in Australia, and the Australia v Argentina tie was shown live for the first 3 rubbers, even when it started at midnight Sydney time. it was slightly delayed during the dead rubber (5th one wasn’t played). so Ester, was the USA v Russie match really shown live?! omg!!! or was it on pay-tv (cable)? i only have ‘free-to-air’.
and hmm, i can’t believe the U.S.A wouldn’t show their OWN davis cup matches live, especially the semi-finals! taped delays…pfft.


whatever, man Says:

I like how you act like non-live tennis is a new scourge on American TV. This has been going on for years and years.


Ray Cartwright Says:

I was just happy James Blake didn’t lay down and let Marat Safin run over him, but actually won the “meaningless” match. I don’t think any match between top players is ever meaningless and I’m pleased that James beat Marat again in Thailand; that he also won the final, and now has four titles for the year!

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