clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
ATP CUP PREVIEW: MIX OF ITS STAR POWER IS WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
From a reboot of the Djokovic-Nadal show to the strength of Russia's Medvedev-Rublev combination, here are five things to look for at next week's ATP team event.
By Steve Tignor
January 26, 2021
When you think of Nadal and Djokovic in Australia, you naturally think of their chief antagonist from Down Under, right? An encounter between Rafa and Kyrgios would have been the ideal way to get people’s attention as a new season began.
So why is Nadal playing De Minaur instead, and why is Kyrgios not on the Australian team? ATP Cup rules state that the two highest-ranked players in each country have the opportunity to play singles for their teams. In Australia’s case, that’s the 23rd-ranked De Minaur and the 38th-ranked John Millman. Kyrgios, who skipped most of 2020, is ranked No. 46 right now.
Should we criticize the ATP for not finding a way to put Kyrgios on the team and facilitate the season-opening showdown many of us would like to see? Or should we credit the tour for sticking by its rules and rewarding De Minaur and Millman for their tour success last year? I’ll go with the latter. A match between Nadal and De Minaur, two of the most tenacious players in the game, is a good enough way to start the year for me.
www.tennis.com
From a reboot of the Djokovic-Nadal show to the strength of Russia's Medvedev-Rublev combination, here are five things to look for at next week's ATP team event.
By Steve Tignor
January 26, 2021
When you think of Nadal and Djokovic in Australia, you naturally think of their chief antagonist from Down Under, right? An encounter between Rafa and Kyrgios would have been the ideal way to get people’s attention as a new season began.
So why is Nadal playing De Minaur instead, and why is Kyrgios not on the Australian team? ATP Cup rules state that the two highest-ranked players in each country have the opportunity to play singles for their teams. In Australia’s case, that’s the 23rd-ranked De Minaur and the 38th-ranked John Millman. Kyrgios, who skipped most of 2020, is ranked No. 46 right now.
Should we criticize the ATP for not finding a way to put Kyrgios on the team and facilitate the season-opening showdown many of us would like to see? Or should we credit the tour for sticking by its rules and rewarding De Minaur and Millman for their tour success last year? I’ll go with the latter. A match between Nadal and De Minaur, two of the most tenacious players in the game, is a good enough way to start the year for me.

ATP Cup preview: Mix of its star power is what the doctor ordered | Tennis.com
From a reboot of the Djokovic-Nadal show to the strength of Russia's Medvedev-Rublev combination, here are five things to look for at next week's ATP team event.