Davis Cup X-Wrap: Canada Becomes a Man, U.S. #fail
by Staff | March 8th, 2015, 9:59 pm
  • 15 Comments

KAZAKHSTAN d. ITALY 3-2
The upset of the weekend as No. 130-ranked Aleksandr Nedovyesov stuns veteran Fabio Fognini in the fifth and deciding singles in five sets. Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin won the opening singles on Friday over Simone Bollelli, then on Sunday kept the tie alive in the first singles with a win over Andreas Seppi, both in straight sets.
ADHEREL
GREAT BRITAIN d. USA 3-2
An anticipated fifth-match decider was dashed on Day 1 when John Isner fell to No. 111-ranked James Ward 15-13 in the fifth set. The Bryan brothers kept the tie alive with a 9-7 in the fifth win over Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot, but Andy Murray clinched it for the Brits by beating Isner in straight sets in the first Sunday match. It was the second straight loss to Britain in the first round of World Group play for the U.S.

AUSTRALIA d. CZECH REPUBLIC 3-2
Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth failed to make it a 3-0 sweep for Australia, losing the doubles in five sets, but Bernard Tomic finalized it in the first Sunday singles with a straight-set win over Lukas Rosol. In the Friday singles Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis beat Rosol in five, and Tomic topped Jiri Vesely in straights.

FRANCE d. GERMANY 3-2
Gilles Simon and Gael “Force” Monfils in singles, and Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut in doubles lead the French to a 3-0 sweep in Frankfurt. Simon in the first singles on Friday beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 10-8 in the fifth set.

SERBIA d. CROATIA 5-0
Viktor Troicki needed five sets to beat Croat upstart Borna Coric, but the Serbs led by world No. 1 Novak Djokovic rolled past Croatia, who could field no Top 50-ranked players.

BELGIUM d. SWITZERLAND 3-2
Even without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss almost pulled the upset. No. 344-ranked Swiss Henri Laaksonen won both his singles in five sets over Ruben Belemans and Steve Darcis, forcing a fifth and deciding match when No. 321-ranked Swiss Adrien Bossel was outmatch by Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.

BRAZIL tied with ARGENTINA 2-2
The final singles was postponed due to darkness on Sunday night with Argentina’s Federico Delbonis leading Thomaz Bellucci one set to none.

CANADA d. JAPAN 3-2
Kei Nishikori beat Milos Raonic in the marquee first singles match on Sunday to extend it to a fifth and final, but Japan’s Go Soeda was no match for Vasek “Popsicle” Pospisil, falling in straight sets.

 


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15 Comments for Davis Cup X-Wrap: Canada Becomes a Man, U.S. #fail

jane Says:

canada becomes “a man”?
what the heck?
lol!
and no…

March 9th, 2015 at 12:42 am


Margot Says:

GB seemed like a real “team” to me, the US not so much.That’s what tips the balance in Davis Cup.
Perhaps Courier is not inspirational?

March 9th, 2015 at 1:53 am


KatH Says:

Margot, think you are an Andy Murray fan – anyways, he’s back to No. 4 ranking, leading Kei by 10 points!!!!!

March 9th, 2015 at 3:25 am


Margot Says:

KatH: Yep, just a bit…..;)
Important he’s 4 at RG!

March 9th, 2015 at 4:15 am


Emily Says:

@Margot, i think you’re right about the team mentality during that tie. It was clear how inspired James Ward was by his teammates and apparently he practices w/ Murray during the off season. I haven’t seen Murray so animated in ages and Isner looked lost out there. I don’t think Courier has done anything tactically wrong, but he doesn’t seem to be getting the best out of his team.
I didn’t see much cheering from the American bench other than the Bryans, and the best teams have that unity where all the players will try to be behind their teammates, eg. was John there during the doubles match?

March 9th, 2015 at 8:16 am


RZ Says:

I wonder how much having the national training center at Roehampton has helped team GB as a team? I know the center has been controversial for its cost and perceived lack of impact, but this could be one benefit.

But I think a lot of team GB spirit has to do with Andy Murray. He’s very friendly with the other team GB guys (and it doesn’t hurt to be related to one), hangs out with them, and supports them. James Ward was practicing with him in the off-season. Andy often plays doubles with them at Indian Wells and other tournaments (I’ve seen him play with Johnny Marray and Ross Hutchins there).

March 9th, 2015 at 10:43 am


SG1 Says:

RZ Says

But I think a lot of team GB spirit has to do with Andy Murray.

—

For sure. Being a grand slam winner gives team belief. In most ties, Andy’s a lock for two wins. How can that not translate into confidence? And Andy seems like he’d be a really cool teammate.

March 9th, 2015 at 11:33 am


Hippy Chick Says:

SG1/RZ Andy is a lock for two wins granted,but thats all the more reason IMO that James should be given more credit,been the underdog in his matches that really he has no right winning,Andy was expected to win his matches….

March 9th, 2015 at 11:42 am


RZ Says:

@Hippy exactly. The first round ties this year and last year were because James Ward came through with a singles win over a much higher ranked opponent.

March 9th, 2015 at 11:50 am


SG1 Says:

Davis Cup is so interesting in many ways. There are often upsets you couldn’t imagine happening because when players are out there playing for their country, they sometimes find a few gears they never knew they had. I don’t remember if it was Grant Connell or Daniel Nestor, but one of them beat Stefan Edberg (when he was No.1 in the world) in a Davis Cup tie. Crazy stuff can happen. Particularly when you have a tightly knit team with great leadership as GB clearly has right now.

March 9th, 2015 at 11:54 am


SG1 Says:

jane Says:
canada becomes “a man”?
what the heck?
lol!
and no…

——————–

Hey, we make hockey players up here. There aren’t very many sports with players tougher than hockey players. In fact, I can’t think of one. Puck in the mouth, teeth falling out, into the dressing room get sewn up and out there for the next period. Not just men up here. Ubber men!

March 9th, 2015 at 11:57 am


Emily Says:

You really need two good singles players to win a Davis Cup tie. Too often there is emphasis on the higher ranked player, but Raonic, who is supposed to be a guaranteed 2 points lost to Kei, and Pospisil had to save the tie. Similar case in the final last year when Federer was injured and couldn’t create the 2-0 score after the 1st day. The Swiss team needed Stan to keep themselves in the tie.

James is definitely the hero and it’s even more unbelievable that he’s done this two years in a row to the same team. I would’ve been a lot more scared of Ward than Murray if I was the American team, but I guess they thought lightening couldn’t strike twice. I think the slam winners are great to have on a team to inspire their teammates and to raise interest and fan support. However, Davis Cup seems to produce the most unlikely of heroes, and that’s what makes it so compelling.

March 9th, 2015 at 1:51 pm


elina Says:

What was Canada before they became a man?

March 9th, 2015 at 1:54 pm


Emily Says:

We had Novak and Andy playing, but the true hero of the Davis Cup 1st round is Leonardo Mayer

March 9th, 2015 at 1:56 pm


jane Says:

“elina Says:
What was Canada before they became a man?”

exactly… lol! i thought we were a country. ;)

March 10th, 2015 at 12:04 am

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