Davis Cup 2010

[matt_897]

Good news:

Belgium- The team that started own downfall in '07 when we lost in the first round away from home, when Lleyton ended up losing to Vligen in a tight 5 setter, so this would be played here, not horrible, still have the same team roughly although oliver rochus is no way near the player he was.

Brazil - This would be played here as well i think since the last time we played was all those years ago when lleyton beat guga, bellucci is their best player, this would be a great draw, we would probably play on grass.

Austria - This would be away i'm fairly sure, would be a tough tie, melzer their best player with good doubles team, would like to avoid.

Italy - Don't know where this would be played but tough team with Seppi, Starace and the like, god I hope that would be at home.

Romania - Again, don't know where this would be played. Hanescu the only danger here

Kazakhstan - The country that buys the players, Korolev and Goulbev, defiantely beatable

South Africa - Please this one.

Columbia - would be tricky if it is away, they do have 2 players in the top 100 as well.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

Based on the below, I would probably prefer to avoid Austria. Colombia or Kazakhstan would be tough if we drew them away, and Italy would be tricky even though we would have home court advantage. In truth, none of the home draws should give us any trouble.

Austria

Would play away (last played in 2005 in Sydney).

Top ranked singles players:
30: Jurgen Melzer
106: Daniel Koellerer
118: Stefan Koubek

Top ranked doubles players:
13: Oliver Marach
23: Jurgen Melzer
25: Julian Knowle

Defeated Slovakia 3-2 in Europe/Africa Zone round 2 (home).

Belgium

Would play at home (last played in 2007 in Liege).

Top ranked singles players:
59: Olivier Rochus
86: Xavier Malisse
110: Steve Darcis

Top ranked doubles players:
11: Dick Norman
183: Steve Darcis
197: Olivier Rochus

Defeated 4-1 by Czech Republic in World Group round 1 (home).

Brazil

Would play at home (last played in 2001 in Florianopolis).

Top ranked singles players:
26: Thomaz Bellucci
91: Marcos Daniel
94: Ricardo Mello

Top ranked doubles players:
27: Bruno Soares
46: Marcelo Melo
54: Andre Sa

Defeated Uruguay 5-0 in Americas Zone round 2 (home).

Colombia

Would play ??? (never played before).

Top ranked singles players:
61: Santiago Giraldo
70: Alejandro Falla
166: Carlos Salamanca

Top ranked doubles players:
222: Alejandro Gonzalez
268: Alejandro Falla
269: Juan Sebastian Cabal

Defeated Canada 4-1 in Americas Zone round 2 (home).

Italy

Would play at home (last played in 1993 in Florence)

Top ranked singles players:
47: Andreas Seppi
60: Potito Starace
80: Fabio Fognini

Top ranked doubles players:
80: Potito Starace
95: Daniele Bracciali
102: Simone Bolelli

Defeated Belarus 5-0 in Europe/Africa Zone round 1 (home).
Defeated Netherlands 4-1 in Europe/Africa Zone round 2 (away).

Kazakhstan

Would play ??? (never played before).

Top ranked singles players:
73: Evgeny Korolev
76: Andrey Golubev
128: Mikhail Kukushkin

Top ranked doubles players:
117: Evgeny Korolev
156: Alexey Kedryuk
188: Yuri Schukin

Defeated South Korea 5-0 in Asia/Oceania Zone round 1 (home).
Defeated China 4-1 in Asia/Oceania Zone round 2 (away).

Romania

Would play away (last played in 1983 in Brisbane).

Top ranked singles players:
38: Victor Hanescu
157: Victor Crivoi
167: Adrian Ungur

Top ranked doubles players:
37: Horia Tecau
136: Andrei Pavel
164: Victor Hanescu

Defeated Ukraine 3-1 in Europe/Africa Zone round 2 (home).

South Africa

Would play at home (last played in 1995 in Durban).

Top ranked singles players:
88: Kevin Anderson
217: Izak van der Merwe
291: Rik de Voest

Top ranked doubles players:
9: Wesley Moodie
81: Rik de Voest
86: Jeff Coetzee

Defeated Finland 4-0 in Europe/Africa Zone round 2 (home).

 

[matt_897]

South Africa at home would be all types of awesome, (might as well keep the clay court in Brisbane too)

 

[matt_897]

Got Belgium at home, defiantely take that one although it won't be easy, Lleyton needs to be playing some good tennis and fit and raring to go.

 

[anthonyjm]

Spain has a high change of winning because of all the high ranked talented players, but most other teams like USA and Australia still have a chance of winning

 

[Dan_Nickels]

Spain has a high change of winning because of all the high ranked talented players, but most other teams like USA and Australia still have a chance of winning

Don't forget Serbia, they're pretty solid as well.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Australia v Belgium, Being shown LIVE on Ch.7 atm. Hopefully wont get cut off by 4:30 News.

Hewitt has won the first set 7-6. Pretty uninspiring tennis TBH.

 

[getthefooty]

Takes the 2nd 7-5. Not all that convincing though, Bemelmans is playing some OK tennis.

 

[getthefooty]

And now goes down a double break in the third. Stuff Hewitt.

 

[getthefooty]

Gets there finally, 7-6 7-5 2-6 6-4, and then promptly collapses to the ground in celebration.

 

[Kaan]

One would think he won a slam or something

 

[getthefooty]

Rochus will take care of Ball you'd think.

 

[matt_897]

Watched the matches last night after switching off the footy in the 3rd quarter, would rather tennis than Geelong getting smashed, it being so bad that the crowd is soccer chanting "Collingwood" but anyway....Lleyton had a very tougher match than I was expecting, the start looked like Bemlamans was very inconsistent but he picked it up and made it very tough for Lleyton. Lleyton was argubly hitting the ball a bit shorter than he normally was and it allowed the Belgian to get on top of the points. The 3rd set he was completely being dominated. Wasn't Lleyton prettiest performance by far but eh grinded it out, although that sort of performance concerns me about the match with Rochus on Sunday...

While, there so many things Ball does wrong with his game, despite a nice little patch in the middle of third it was all one way traffic. Rochus is just way too expreienced and consisent for him, he had gameplans in place. Ball needs to work on his approaches to the net because if he was able to do thata bit better he would be quite hard to beat at the ent, some of the reach eh showed at times was rather insane. I never see the spirit in him though to strive to improve his game.

Big doubles clash today, the tie is in a very interesting place, must win for us I feel.

 

[matt_897]

Won the doubles pretty easily 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Just way too good. Tie is defiantely not over, hopefully Lleyton pulls up fine for tomorrow because a tough match with Rochus will be on the cards tomorrow, defiantely won't be easy. If the unthinkable happens and Lleyton loses, will be interesting to see whether Fitzy sticks with Ball or goes with Luzcak, very tough choice.

By the way, France are 2-0 against Argentina, Monfils and Llodra got wins while it is 1-1 between Serbia and Czech Republic with Djokovic not playing and Berdych getting beat by Tipsarevic.

 

[SBI]

Hewitt has withdrawn from the reverse singles. Luczak in.

 

[matt_897]

Well, that's Lleyton out for the rest of the year...

But really on more important issue of winning a match today, will be very tough, Luczak not in great form, could almost be a career defining match for him, not sure if he will get past Rochus. Then Ball for a 5th rubber...

 

[Caesar]

Ouch. With Hewitt playing we were virtually a dead cert, this puts things on far more of a knife edge.

On the other hand, if we can't win a singles rubber against Belgium without Hewitt then we probably don't deserve to be in the World Group anyway. How does everyone rate Ball's chances? I really doubt Luczak can beat Rochus.

 

[SBI]

Ouch. With Hewitt playing we were virtually a dead cert, this puts things on far more of a knife edge.

On the other hand, if we can't win a singles rubber against Belgium without Hewitt then we probably don't deserve to be in the World Group anyway. How does everyone rate Ball's chances? I really doubt Luczak can beat Rochus.

He really should beat a guy like Bemelmans who, while being apparently pretty good on Friday, hasn't really done much. But with Carsten who knows? The courts are really slow which doesn't help.

Agreed on the point that if we can't win this we don't deserve a World Group spot. Even if we had Hewitt fit and firing, I shudder to think what Serbia or Spain would do to us.

 

[matt_897]

He really should beat a guy like Bemelmans who, while being apparently pretty good on Friday, hasn't really done much. But with Carsten who knows? The courts are really slow which doesn't help.

Agreed on the point that if we can't win this we don't deserve a World Group spot. Even if we had Hewitt fit and firing, I shudder to think what Serbia or Spain would do to us.

The courts are actually quite fast, in fact, the Belgiums were whinging about it earlier in the week.

Well, yes, it is time for Luczak and Ball to step it up, we managed to win a tie a few years ago without Lleyton when Guccione stepped it up against Switerzland. here will be very interesting, looking at the H2H, Luczak has beaten Rochus before...

 

[SBI]

Eh looked a bit slow in Rochus/Ball, but maybe that was just the coverage.

All I can say is that we are very lucky Malisse isn't playing.

 

[matt_897]

This is what we get for playing a tie in Cairns, go away rain...

 

[absy]

Not looking good for Pete.

 

[NERDY]

Serbia through to the Davis Cup Final.

How. About. It.

It came down to the final rubber, with Djokovic beating Berdych in 4 sets.

 

[matt_897]

Fantastic, another year playing shithouse Asian nations...

 

[red+black]

Fantastic, another year playing shithouse Asian nations...

Dude, we're a shithouse Asian nation