Kudos to the British Davis Cup team for getting into the highest tier

[JRAJ1988]

They played vs Croatia in Umag on clay and won vs a depleted Croatian team at least 2 senior, great players ie Marin Čilić and Ivo Karlovic.

The Umag crowd where obviously partisan and Andy Murray carried himself well in the face of the partisan crowd especially vs Ivan Dodig who's had a great season. I think Andy likes that, the role of the "bad" guy as at the French Open last year vs Gasquet the crowd didn't like his theatrics when he was legit injured.

Borna Coric has bags "o" potential and I hope he succeeds in the future.

The first time since 2008 Britain made the top tier of the Davis Cup which brings up this question, we're officially 65? 70? million and in singles we rely of Murray, will Evans, Ward...Kyle Edmond and Oliver Golding step up? Where is this massive talent pool? The French and the Spanish have that in truck loads.

Example - Serbia, Czech Republic, Croatia and Sweden have significantly less per populous yet have won the Davis Cup..is it still the coaching issue? a class issue? as Tennis here is still seen as a "Middle-Upper class" sport which it isn't! Yet Football transcends all boundaries of class and anyone can get into it.

We have great doubles players and with Ross Hutchins in remission it's looking good. I'd love to see Nadal vs Murray Davis Cup on Grass at SW19..would be awesome .

 

[tennisaddict]

I want a Tsonga-Fed and Nadal-Murray at SW19.

 

[Laurie]

We have a good team now. Good strong doubles players with Jonny Mrray and Jamie Murray in backup. We have Dan Evans who has taken confidence from the previous tie and is improving.

The only thing that worries me now is, what happens if Scotland claims independence? :shock:

 

[Mainad]

We have a good team now. Good strong doubles players with Jonny Mrray and Jamie Murray in backup. We have Dan Evans who has taken confidence from the previous tie and is improving.

I wonder why Jamie is never picked for DC these days?

The only thing that worries me now is, what happens if Scotland claims independence? :shock:

Eek! Well, there goes British tennis I guess unless we can manage to persuade Andy, Jamie, Colin and Leon to defect to England! :wink:

 

[NEW_BORN]

It would be great to see GB draw Serbia next year, so we get to see Djokovic playing at home where he's always at his best against a Murray who thrives on enemy territory.

 

[Feña14]

After the great result at the weekend it got me thinking back to Murrays decision not to play a few years ago, he got slated for it, but he said he knew Britain weren't ready to be back at the highest level and the others needed to play, experience it and improve.

Looking back, it seems to be a great decision. As others have said, we have a pretty good team. Murray would back himself to win 2 singles on his own, whilst the doubles we have a good shot at. Evans has proven the past 6 months he's capable of beating good players.

We won't be winning it anytime soon, but we're at a level now where we won't disgrace ourselves and can win ties at the top now.

 

[zebedee]

Can't see the logic of Murray playing doubles when Jonny Marray, a grand slam doubles winner in his own right, was fully capable of playing, especially since he's just played the US Open doubles alongside Murray's partner, Colin Fleming. I thought they did well making the quarter finals before losing in a tight one against the Bryan brothers.

Murray playing three times is not exactly planning a team for the future, is it? And where does that leave Jonny Marray now that Murraymate Ross Hutchins is back in the frame?

It seems to me that Murray picked this predictably winnable tie to strut his stuff with his own objectives in mind, rather than Team GB's. Ever the opportunist, Murray helped GB to a 4-1 win, partly thanks to Coramine or whatever the stuff was that Cilic supposedly ingested.

GB still needs another proven singles player before they become genuine D.C. contenders.

 

[Chico]

I want a Tsonga-Fed and Nadal-Murray at SW19.

Why do people disrespect and hate Djokovic so much here. Unbelievable.

 

[Mainad]

It seems to me that Murray picked this predictably winnable tie to strut his stuff with his own objectives in mind, rather than Team GB's.

Well, it was only predictably winnable because Murray played!

Ever the opportunist, Murray helped GB to a 4-1 win, partly thanks to Coramine or whatever the stuff was that Cilic supposedly ingested.

The presence of Cilic would have undoubtedly made things trickier for GB but, come on, Murray has a 9-1 H2H against him and has beaten him on all surfaces including clay!

GB still needs another proven singles player before they become genuine D.C. contenders.

Agreed. But I feel Dan Evans, at least, is getting there and James Ward often plays his best tennis in DC ties.

 

[6-1 6-3 6-0]

It would be interesting to see if Great Britain draw Spain next year. We could get another Nadal-Murray match, which we have been deprived of for almost 2 years.

 

[aldeayeah]

It would be great to see GB draw Serbia next year, so we get to see Djokovic playing at home where he's always at his best against a Murray who thrives on enemy territory.

Murray troubling Djokovic on clay, best of 5? Not sure...

 

[JRAJ1988]

Murray troubling Djokovic on clay, best of 5? Not sure...

That would be tricky for Murray to beat Djokovic on clay, best of 5...the last time these two played on Clay was Rome in 2011, what a match that was.

 

[raging]

I would have hoped to see Murray play world group again next year & Evo try to get into top 100 before they can seriously challenge. Roscoe Hutchins will need at least a year to come back to full fitness, not sure Jamie Murray would work with Jonny Marray, it would get too bloody confusing for a start!

Roscoe was pretty solid with Colin Fleming in dubs but think Jamie is having pretty good results with John Peers...to be brutally frank, they needed Muzza to get them over the line, he doesn't play a lot of doubles but if he is fit enough then he can do it.

However no way he would play Tipsi over 5 sets , then Novak..then doubles...that would be dreaming!

Even worse would be Nadal & Ferrer on indoor clay in January, that would definitely be worse.:shock:
(Muzza has aleady acknowledged how this would be an "ugly match-up"

So ..back IN the World Group in 2014.

For those interested the 2014 Davis Cup takes place in London on WED. September 18 at 10am local time(11am GMT).

With the greatest respect, all unseeded countries will be hoping for no 8 seed; Kazakstan, who don't have a top 100 player.

A lot will depend on the Oz Open because the semifinalists there in 3rd week of January are going to have to recover quickly to do it all again.

Best of 5 in Davis Cup: that will sort them out!

Meanwhile Serbia vs Czech Final this year should be a cracker!

Davis Cup is getting sexier!

 

[NEW_BORN]

Murray troubling Djokovic on clay, best of 5? Not sure...

Well if their Rome2011 encounter was anything to go by, maybe Murray could make it competitive even if it was on clay.