U.S. v Russia Davis Cup Final

Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
Davydenko to Lead Russia in Davis Cup Final

MOSCOW (Reuters) - World number four Nikolai Davydenko will lead defending champion Russia in the Davis Cup final against the United States, the team said on Wednesday. Davydenko will be joined by world number 19 Mikhail Yuzhny, Igor Andreev (33) and Dmitry Tursunov (34) for the three-day tie that starts on Nov. 30 in Portland.

Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev decided against calling up the team's charismatic leader, former world number one Marat Safin, who has struggled to find his top form since coming back from a knee injury.

"There's no point in drafting Marat to play the Americans. He only began training again this week after an extended break," Tarpishchev told Reuters.
http://mnweekly.ru/sport/20071115/55289546.html

Tursunov should be a lock for a singles spot and Youzhny seems like a better choice than Davydenko for the other singles spot. The surface is too fast for Andreev. This will be a tough final for Russia, especially given that Safin will not be playing with Dmitry in doubles.

Safin training for Davis Cup on Cho-Oyu:
4716953e76eb.jpg
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Yeah nice photo, I did not know that Russian Mafia was in control of the Himalayas too. Is that why they have those horrible avalanches there?

And CyBorg I know who you are now - you are that journalist from StP that investigated Antibiotic...
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
Marat looked gaunt when he watched the Russia v Germany tie.
DC_8417_gallery.jpg

Any guess who will team with Tursunov for the Davis Cup doubles?
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
Originally Posted by simi:
H2H stats

Roddick v. Davydenko 5-0

Roddick v. Andreev 1-2 (two losses were at a slow Indian Wells last year and the French Open this year - win was at the '05 Wimbledon)

Roddick v. Youzhny 3-2 (won last three meetings, all on hardcourt)

Roddick v. Tursunov 2-1 (all three matches close - this will be his most difficult match, depending on which Dmitry shows up - Tursunov grew up in Sacramento, so he is used to "fast" courts)


Blake v. Tursunov 0-0 (have never met in DC or ATP)

Blake v. Davydenko 6-0 (all hardcourt)

Blake v. Andreev 5-0 (all hardcourt, one grass)

Blake v. Youzhny 0-1 (last year's Davis Cup semifinal (clay) close, except when they each went on a walk-about in the second and third sets, this will be Blake's toughest match)
---end of Simi's post---

My guess is that Russia plays Tursunov and Youzhny in singles. Blake will be rusty and Roddick is not playing well. Russia has a chance of taking 3 of 4 in singles, and will need to since no Safin means little chance of winning the doubles.
 
D

Deleted member 22147

Guest
Photo is pretty funny, but I reckon it will be very close. I hope the Russians will pull it through!
 
Fedace

Fedace

Banned
Mike Bulgakov said:
Originally Posted by simi:
H2H stats

Roddick v. Davydenko 5-0

Roddick v. Andreev 1-2 (two losses were at a slow Indian Wells last year and the French Open this year - win was at the '05 Wimbledon)

Roddick v. Youzhny 3-2 (won last three meetings, all on hardcourt)

Roddick v. Tursunov 2-1 (all three matches close - this will be his most difficult match, depending on which Dmitry shows up - Tursunov grew up in Sacramento, so he is used to "fast" courts)


Blake v. Tursunov 0-0 (have never met in DC or ATP)

Blake v. Davydenko 6-0 (all hardcourt)

Blake v. Andreev 5-0 (all hardcourt, one grass)

Blake v. Youzhny 0-1 (last year's Davis Cup semifinal (clay) close, except when they each went on a walk-about in the second and third sets, this will be Blake's toughest match)
---end of Simi's post---

My guess is that Russia plays Tursunov and Youzhny in singles. Blake will be rusty and Roddick is not playing well. Russia has a chance of taking 3 of 4 in singles, and will need to since no Safin means little chance of winning the doubles.
Click to expand...

I think Youzny will beat blake, he always gets hyped up for davis cup. Tursunov will probably choke.
 
D

Deleted member 3771

Guest
the russians will win and Davydenko will be the hero
 
A

alienhamster

Hall of Fame
Have they determined the surface/location? I've been having trouble finding Davis Cup info lately.

They would be STOO-PID not to play on grass. It's Russia's achilles' heel.
 
J-man

J-man

Hall of Fame
Mike Bulgakov said:
Davydenko to Lead Russia in Davis Cup Final

MOSCOW (Reuters) - World number four Nikolai Davydenko will lead defending champion Russia in the Davis Cup final against the United States, the team said on Wednesday. Davydenko will be joined by world number 19 Mikhail Yuzhny, Igor Andreev (33) and Dmitry Tursunov (34) for the three-day tie that starts on Nov. 30 in Portland.

Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev decided against calling up the team's charismatic leader, former world number one Marat Safin, who has struggled to find his top form since coming back from a knee injury.

"There's no point in drafting Marat to play the Americans. He only began training again this week after an extended break," Tarpishchev told Reuters.
http://mnweekly.ru/sport/20071115/55289546.html

Tursunov should be a lock for a singles spot and Youzhny seems like a better choice than Davydenko for the other singles spot. The surface is too fast for Andreev. This will be a tough final for Russia, especially given that Safin will not be playing with Dmitry in doubles.

Safin training for Davis Cup on Cho-Oyu:
4716953e76eb.jpg
Click to expand...
LOL ! Love the picture. The team looks good to match up against the American team. Roddick, and the Bryans I think can be guaranteed a win but Blake might be a different story.
 
CyBorg

CyBorg

Legend
J-man said:
LOL ! Love the picture. The team looks good to match up against the American team. Roddick, and the Bryans I think can be guaranteed a win but Blake might be a different story.
Click to expand...

Those are the mountain climbers, I think.
 
superman1

superman1

Legend
Safin is just classic.

Anyway, I would say that Russia has no chance, except the Bryan's did pull out of the Master's Cup, so I don't know what's up with them. Blake had an awful year, Roddick just got his @ss handed to him in his last two matches, and he's been suffering from lower back problems. America will always find a way to lose.

Then again, Davydenko has been playing horribly, Youzhny...well, I don't know what the hell happened to him. And Andreev disappeared after beating Roddick in the French Open, an amazing accomplishment.

Should be a great tie.
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
Roddick brushes off Davis Cup injury concerns

SHANGHAI (AFP) American Andy Roddick brushed aside injury concerns ahead of this month's Davis Cup final despite struggling with a back problem during his Masters Cup semi-final.

The world number five, who is returning from an ankle injury, needed treatment to his lower back during the comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 drubbing by Spain's David Ferrer.

But he said he had no fitness worries for the Davis Cup final against Russia, starting on November 30 in Portland, Oregon.

"There was some stiffness. It was really stiff. My range of motion was really bad," Roddick said.

"After I got some stuff on it, it loosened up pretty well for the second set. It's not sharp pain. It's nothing that should affect me come the final of the Davis Cup."

Roddick beat Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in his opening match and described his run at the year-ending Masters Cup as good preparation for the team showdown.

"I feel confident. You know, it was nice to get a win over Davydenko and I've been able to beat (Mikhail) Youzhny the last couple times we've played," Roddick said.

"We have the best doubles team in the world in our corner," he added, referring to top-ranked twins Bob and Mike Bryan.

"I think we're feeling confident. But getting that confidence to translate to the court and getting a win is a tall task, especially since we lost to them last year. But I like our team."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0gY2z1ZkdtfSobev9u5paho1frw
 
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CrocodileRock

CrocodileRock

Rookie
Thanks for the story Mike. I've also been wondering about James Blake. Hopefully he's training somewhere, but it seems like he disappeared after the USO.
 
tangerine

tangerine

Professional
Hasn't Youzhny been sick or injured these past several weeks? Can somebody confirm for me whether that's true or not. Thanks.
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
CrocodileRock said:
I've also been wondering about James Blake. Hopefully he's training somewhere, but it seems like he disappeared after the USO.
Click to expand...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes
LOS ANGELES, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Home advantage will give the U.S. a massive boost when they host 2006 champions Russia in this month's Davis Cup final, says singles mainstay James Blake.

"I think for Andy (Roddick) and myself it's a great situation," Blake said in a conference call on Thursday. "We love playing on indoor hard. We've had some of our best results there.

"We're feeling really good. We know we're going to have a raucous crowd on our side and I think this is the perfect situation for me to play some of my best tennis."

"I think the Bryans could play on Pluto and still be the favourites," Blake added. "We could put it on just about anything and I like their chances."

Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev suggested the Americans could be vulnerable in the singles matches when announcing his finals line-up earlier this week but Blake begs to differ.

"He's got to get them fired up some way," the New York native said. "He has to show he believes in them."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/tennisNews/idUKN1534735220071116?sp=true
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
tangerine said:
Hasn't Youzhny been sick or injured these past several weeks? Can somebody confirm for me whether that's true or not. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Youzhny is training with the team in Moscow. Shamil wants to keep the U.S. guessing who will play and is playing his cards very close to his vest.

Safin still in doubt for Davis Cup final
MOSCVOW (AFP) — Russia's skipper Shamil Tarpischev has said he will wait until the last minute before announcing his line-up for the Davis Cup final against the United States in Portland, Oregan.

"We all know the five candidates for the squad," Tarpishchev said. "I think it's useless to add something now. Everything will depend on their conditioning ahead of the final.

The skipper said that Russian tennis hero Marat Safin had just resumed his training.

"Marat began his training on November 11," Tarpishchev said. "It's useless to guess whether he will be able to play against the United States. If he regains his top form he will play, if he doesn't he will stay on the bench."

Tarpishchev also said that Nikolay Davydenko would join teammates Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny for training in Moscow after taking some rest to recover from his efforts at last week's Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Dmitry Tursunov will also travel to Moscow to prepare for the final, which starts on November 30 after finishing playing in a tournament in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jYuOFvcGA09NJECwlpdFQD_zm50A
 
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M

Morrissey

Guest
Sorry people, the US has this one locked up. Roddick and Blake with Bryans indoors will pretty much beat whatever team the Russians put out there. Davy can´t hurt any of them and he´s their best player. Not even Youzhny or Tursunov. This could get ugly unfortunately.
 
lambielspins

lambielspins

Banned
Morrissey said:
Sorry people, the US has this one locked up. Roddick and Blake with Bryans indoors will pretty much beat whatever team the Russians put out there. Davy can´t hurt any of them and he´s their best player. Not even Youzhny or Tursunov. This could get ugly unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I agree, Davydenko by far the Russian #1 is a combined 0-11 vs Roddick and Blake. Youzhny is playing nowhere near what he was from August last year-March this year when he was playing the tennis of his career, and even then he couldnt beat Roddick in his biggest match ever in the U.S Open semis. Tursunov is 1-0 vs Roddick on clay, but 0-2 on hard courts, and this is an even faster court. The Bryans are head and shoulders a better doubles team then any Russian doubles pair. The Russian might get a win over Blake from the other Russian (not the clear #1 Russian Davydenko, funnily enough) but that is it. 4-1 loss at best, 5-0 probably.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
superman1 said:
Does anyone still think that the level of tennis today is so much higher than it was in the 90's?
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, yes, I think it's true. What does that have to do with the topic though?

Also, my TTW browsing is slow tonight, pages take like 5 - 10 seconds to load. Anybody else having problems, or just me??
 
superman1

superman1

Legend
Well, I'm just thinking about how hard Sampras had to work to win that Davis Cup tie on clay, beating Kafelnikov and then having to be carried off court. And all of Agassi's great Davis Cup wins, and some of his losses like the 5 setter against Becker. And then of course there is McEnroe, the best American Davis Cup player of all time who put his heart and soul into the thing.

And now we've got this less impressive team of Roddick and Blake and they are shoe-in's to win the whole thing. We do have the Bryan's, but still...it shouldn't be this easy.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Well, physical effort put into matches and related injuries are different from level of tennis played. Also, if you remember the deciding match from last year's USA vs. RUS semi, Roddick and Tursunov had quite a battle (17-15 in the fifth or something, was it??).

Yes, the injured Safin and American soil/surface will make this meeting a challenge for the Tarpischev team, but listen - they haven't played the tie yet!
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
^^ sounds like neither team is ready to play, they should just let Shamil hang on to the cup for now, and just play it out next year when everybody's feeling better...:)
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Well, let's not play it out on paper. If they must play this wheelchair exhibition dead tie, let them play it out, and just see what happens...:) Not that it would mean anything in reality...;)
 
federerfanatic

federerfanatic

Banned
superman1 said:
Does anyone still think that the level of tennis today is so much higher than it was in the 90's?
Click to expand...

I for one never said I thought it was. Although I have said I believe the people who believe the contrary, that the 90s was much higher, have an inflated perspective on the 90s, and I feel the 60s, 70s, 80s all in fact produced much harder competition overall then either the 90s or 2000s.

In either case though I dont feel at all the Davis Cup is any longer a very good perspective on the level of tennis. It just doesnt carry nearly as much priority as it once did. The fact the #1 player in the World only shows up to play the tie that saves the country from relegation says it all.
 
Klatu Verata Necktie

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
Looking at the Davis Cup teams to determine the quality of today's tennis vs years past doesn't work, because there are many very good players who simply do not have other great talent around them in their own countries. Look at Federer, Andy Murray, and Marcos Baghdatis as examples.

Other countries such as Spain and France had very good teams with talented players and big names but did not make it as far as they may have been expected to. The nature of sport is that it is unpredictable.
 
B

Belafonte

New User
i imagine that the crowd will be mostly cheering for USA. how crazy will fans get during davis cup? painted faces, costumes?
 
M

Morrissey

Guest
lambielspins said:
I agree, Davydenko by far the Russian #1 is a combined 0-11 vs Roddick and Blake. Youzhny is playing nowhere near what he was from August last year-March this year when he was playing the tennis of his career, and even then he couldnt beat Roddick in his biggest match ever in the U.S Open semis. Tursunov is 1-0 vs Roddick on clay, but 0-2 on hard courts, and this is an even faster court. The Bryans are head and shoulders a better doubles team then any Russian doubles pair. The Russian might get a win over Blake from the other Russian (not the clear #1 Russian Davydenko, funnily enough) but that is it. 4-1 loss at best, 5-0 probably.
Click to expand...

You pretty much said it for me again. Jeez this is happening too much. But I'm glad you also noticed Youzhny's "prime period" from August (US Open) 2006 to March (Dubai) 2007. After that he's gone back to the "top 30" Youzhny we've known for years.

But for the DC final, I pray for a tight competitive event but I just don't see it. Not at all. I guess the US are due since they only won the DC twice in the 90's. Funny, how many Americans don't want the US to win this? I'd say a good percentage. It couldn't have anything to do with ARod, Blake, Chest Bumping Twins and PMac perhaps???
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
CyBorg said:
Who is Andrei?

(and no I was referring to Davydenko's shoulder and Misha's back)
Click to expand...

OK I see. They might as well postpone the whole thing until next year, when everyone is feeling better.

(It's you, Obnorsky, as you've already admitted, but we don't have to talk about it out loud, I understand... tsssss...:|)

tennis_davis_cup.jpg
 
A

alas

New User
lookin forward to Davydenko v Roddick..hope Davydenko can redeem himself..he would've gained some confidence back wid da wid over Gonzalez..should b a gd match up..
 
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
Mike Bulgakov

Mike Bulgakov

G.O.A.T.
J-man said:
NO, I hope you don't think that I thought the guys in the picture minus Safin were the Davis Cup team, lol.
Click to expand...

This is actually the Russian Davis Cup team relaxing outside their dacha.
4716953e76eb-1.jpg

From left to right: Youzhny, Safin, Tursunov (without his wig), Davydenko (with new hair piece), and Andreev (during four week drinking binge following Maria Kirilenko's decision to rethink her options).
 
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