Davis Cup vs Thailand

[ashley12]

Next weekend our Davis Cup continues, with the second round Oceania/Asia ties being played. We are at home to Thailand, who will be missing former top 10 player Paradorn Srichapan. Their team is expected to be led by Danai Udomchoke, ranked 209 in the World yet took David Nalbandian to 5 sets at the Australian Open a few years ago.

The tie will be played on a hardcourt in Townsville indoors.

Not sure if there is any TV coverage...

 

[Drummond]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/11/sports/AS-SPT-TEN-Australia-Thailand.php

Davis Cup: Australia leads Thailand 2-0 on Guccione comeback and easy Hewitt win

Guccione saved three match points in a fourth-set tiebreaker and beat Thailand's Danai Udomchoke 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 on Friday and Hewitt easily beat Kirati Siributwong in the second match 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 on a temporary indoor hardcourt at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

It put Australia in a commanding position in its Asia-Oceania Group 1 second-round playoff that continues with doubles on Saturday and reverse singles on Sunday.

I didn't think Guccione was that bad! Almost losing to Udomchoke?

Hewitt dropping only the 1 game, fair dinkum! Personally I'd like to see Bernard Tomic get a crack in the reserves singles, couldn't possibly do any harm. But I'm not sure if he's even in the country let alone in the squad. Bryden Klein will probably get a go on Sunday.

 

[ashley12]

Expected the easy Hewitt win but for Udomchoke to get that close to Guccione.

Hewitt should be rested for the doubles given his recent injury issues. Agree Brydan should get a gig on Sunday

 

[Eureka]

Only players named in the four man team can play in the reverse singles so Luczac or Hanley could get a run but Brydan or Bernard can't play!

Personally with Luczac turning 29 soon there isn't much point having him there. Especially in a hard court tie as he really is a clay court player.

Fitzy really missed his opportunity to blood a young guy!

 

[ashley12]

The problem was always going to be Hewitt's niggling injury. Hypothetically if Hewitt went down, and Klein/Tomic was forced to play one of the first day ties, and pressure got to them like it did to Jess Moore in the Fed Cup things could ahve got ugly, espcially if Udomchoke beat Gooch in the first rubber.

However at 2-0 the tie is surely ours, leaving us with a World Group play-off.

 

[ashley12]

TOWNSVILLE, Australia: Lleyton Hewitt and Paul Hanley won their Davis Cup doubles match against Thailand on Saturday to secure Australia a berth in the playoffs for the 2009 World Group.
Hewitt and Hanley beat Weerapat Doakmaiklee and Kirati Siributwong 6-3, 6-1, 6-0, adding to Friday's two singles victories to tie to secure a 3-0 win in their Asia/Oceania zone Group One second round tie.
"These are never easy matches," Hewitt said. "Obviously we were the favorites coming in but you still have to go out there and get the job done. And now it's a matter of winning the World Group playoff in September."
The winner of each regional Group One second round tie progresses to playoffs against the eight first-round losers in this year's World Group.
On Saturday, Hewitt and doubles specialist Hanley broke Kirati in the final game of the match and were congratulated by Thai captain Thanakorn Srichaphan, whose brother Paradorn is Thailand's top player but was unavailable to play Australia as he recovers from a long-term injury.




Reverse singles matches reduced to best-of-three sets will be played Sunday.
The draw for the final round of the playoffs will be held early next week. For Australia, the most desirable result would be a home match against either Peru, Netherlands, Israel, Brazil, Chile or Colombia.
Ranked 10th in the world, Australia — a 23-time Davis Cup winner _is guaranteed a seeding, possibly No. 1, for the playoffs.

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Would think that given any of those ties, we would be a big shot of making the World Group again. Hopefully get some TV coverage as well.

 

[Drummond]

Would think that given any of those ties, we would be a big shot of making the World Group again. Hopefully get some TV coverage as well.

Good stuff from the lads. Always thought Hewitt is a pretty decent doubles player as his net game is underrated. And Hanley is one of the best going around.

I’ve missed the coverage of the Davis Cup this year, that’s what happens when you fail to make the World Group.

Anyone catch the results from around the world? James Blake defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu in five sets in a match that lasted almost 4 hours. Mathieu had two match points but failed to convert. USA now lead the tie 2-0.

Russia lead 2-1 over the Czech Republic. Marat Safin beat Berdych in a five set thriller which would've been great to watch. Tomorrow Andreev will take on Berdych in a repeat of their match in Miami just over a week ago. Cmon Berdych, for once stand up and show everyone what you've got.

 

[ashley12]

Heard a bit about the Blake game from an American friend. Apparently his record in 5 setters is now at 11 matches 3 wins after the win over Matthiu 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-3 3-6 7-5.

Argentina is locked 1-1 with Sweden after Soderling beat Acasuso to square the tie after Nalbandian won the opening rubber.

Russia won the doubles in 4 sets to take a 2-1 lead over Czechs, and Spain lead 2-0 over Germany and will almost surely take that tie.

 

[Drummond]

Heard a bit about the Blake game from an American friend. Apparently his record in 5 setters is now at 11 matches 3 wins after the win over Matthiu 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-3 3-6 7-5.

Argentina is locked 1-1 with Sweden after Soderling beat Acasuso to square the tie after Nalbandian won the opening rubber.

Russia won the doubles in 4 sets to take a 2-1 lead over Czechs, and Spain lead 2-0 over Germany and will almost surely take that tie.

While I still don’t rate Blake, he’s slowly on the improve in terms of the mental side of the game. That’s a pretty big win for him.

I expect Berdych to win first up tomorrow which would then put Safin up against Stepanek with the winner clinching the tie for their country. Should be great!

 

[Drummond]

Tomas Berdych was forced to retire against Nikolay Davydenko in the fifth set of a thrilling fourth rubber in Moscow, handing Russia an unassailable 3-1 lead in this Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal tie against the Czech Republic.

Berdych was leading 36 62 76(5) 36 21, with the scores at deuce, when he rolled his right ankle and was forced to retire. It's the second consecutive round that Russia has been handed victory thanks to a retirement, after Novak Djokovic had to retire due to illness in the first round.

Wow, what a massive disappointment for Tomas. Considering all the struggles he's had against Davydenko in the past, this would have been a HUGE win for him, but it's not to be.

And elsewhere...

Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra grabbed a point for France to keep the tie alive in the 2008 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal against the defending champions United States. After losing the first set, the French pair played a brilliant match to defeat the No. 1 ranked doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan 67(7) 75 63 64.

Big upset there, but it shouldn't change the result of the tie. For France to have any chance of winning, Mathieu really needed to convert one of those match points on Day 1. First up tomorrow is Roddick v Mathieu which could be a beauty. The final rubber is Blake v Llodra and really, I can't see Llodra getting close. I wonder why Gasquet, Tsonga or Monfils aren't playing...

On a more positive note good to see Australia complete a 5-0 sweep of Thailand.