Djokovic, Nadal, Murray In Davis Cup Duty This Weekend
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The World Group semifinals are on tap this weekend in Davis Cup. Novak Djokovic will lead his Serbian team against Milos Raonic and the visiting Canadians.
Djokovic, who held a charity event in New York Tuesday night, a day after losing in the US Open final, isn’t concerned about the quick turnaround to Davis Cup play.
“It’s not the first time I’ve had just two days to get ready for the Davis Cup after long-haul flights,” Djokovic said. “”he 2011 experience was not a great one when I faced Del Potro in the semifinal against Argentina because I was injured, apart from being exhausted, and we lost the tie.
I am tired and jet-lagged as I couldn’t get here before Wednesday, but I am fit now and we haven’t played at home in the Davis Cup for two years. Hence I am as motivated and inspired as ever to play for my country in this team event.”
In the other semifinals Tomas Berdych and his Czech Republic squad host the Juan Martin Del Potro-less Argentina team.
“The arena make up feels great and we will try to do our best and continue this winning streak here in Prague,” said Berdych. “We thought it would be Mayer playing the second singles. His game is suited to these courts. I saw some of his match against Andy Murray at the Open and he played well but I won’t change my game; just stay focused and patient from the first point till the last.”
In the World Group playoffs, US Open champion Rafael Nadal joins Spain as they host the Ukraine and Andy Murray will represent Great Britain when they welcome Croatia.
“I arrived a little bit tired after what happened in New York but I hope to be ready for the confrontation,” said Nadal, who has never lost a Davis Cup singles rubber on clay. “It is always a challenge to change surface in a very short period of time but it is something that has happened in the past to me and I hope to adapt my game to be competitive. I have to try because I feel that it is a very important confrontation for us to stay in the World Group but hopefully I can help a little bit.”
WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS
SERBIA v CANADA
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (clay – indoor)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v Milos Raonic (CAN)
Ilija Bozoljac/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) v Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Milos Raonic (CAN)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
CZECH REPUBLIC v ARGENTINA
Venue: O2 Arena, Prague, CZE (hard – indoor)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
Lukas Rosol/Jiri Vesely (CZE) v Carlos Berlocq/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS
SPAIN v UKRAINE
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, ESP (clay – outdoor)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
Marc Lopez/Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Vladyslav Manafov/Denys Molchanov (UKR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
NETHERLANDS v AUSTRIA
Venue: MartiniPlaza, Groningen, NED (clay – indoor)
Robin Haase (NED) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Jesse Huta Galung/Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) v Oliver Marach/Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Robin Haase (NED) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
CROATIA v GREAT BRITAIN
Venue: Stadion Stella Maris, Umag, CRO (clay – outdoor)
Borna Coric (CRO) v Andy Murray (GBR)
Ivan Dodig (CRO) v Daniel Evans (GBR)
Ivan Dodig/Mate Pavic (CRO) v Colin Fleming/Andy Murray (GBR)
Ivan Dodig (CRO) v Andy Murray (GBR)
Borna Coric (CRO) v Daniel Evans (GBR)
SWITZERLAND v ECUADOR
Venue: Patinoire du Littoral, Neuchatel, SUI (hard – indoor)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v Emilio Gomez (ECU)
Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) v Julio-Cesar Campozano (ECU)
Marco Chiudinelli/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v Gonzalo Escobar/Roberto Quiroz (ECU)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v Julio-Cesar Campozano (ECU)
Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) v Emilio Gomez (ECU)
GERMANY v BRAZIL
Venue: Ratiopharm Arena, Ulm/Neu Ulm, GER (hard – indoor)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Daniel Brands/Martin Emmrich (GER) v Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA)
POLAND v AUSTRALIA
Venue: Torwar Hall, Warsaw, POL (clay – indoor)
Lukasz Kubot (POL) v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Michal Przysiezny (POL) v Bernard Tomic (AUS)
Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL) v Chris Guccione/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Lukasz Kubot (POL) v Bernard Tomic (AUS)
Michal Przysiezny (POL) v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
BELGIUM v ISRAEL
Venue: Lotto Arena, Antwerp, BEL (clay – indoor)
Steve Darcis (BEL) v Dudi Sela (ISR)
Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) v Amir Weintraub (ISR)
Steve Darcis/Olivier Rochus (BEL) v Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR)
Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) v Dudi Sela (ISR)
Steve Darcis (BEL) v Amir Weintraub (ISR)
JAPAN v COLOMBIA
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JPN (hard – outdoor)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v Alejandro Falla (COL)
Go Soeda (JPN) v Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Kei Nishikori/Go Soeda (JPN) v Juan-Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah (COL)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Go Soeda (JPN) v Alejandro Falla (COL)
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