Davis Cup Semifinals and Playoffs Preview / Open Thread
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 7:55 AM EDT
in Match Threads
35 comments
The semifinals of the Davis Cup begin Friday, with all four ties seemingly winnable for both sides. Three of them, surprisingly enough for July, are being held indoors. Coverage of the Israel-Spain tie will be on Tennis Channel in the States, with streams of the other semifinals likely findable somewhere on the world wide web.
Only the first two match-ups in each tie are locked in, the rest are subject to change(*).
CZECH REPUBLIC @ CROATIA
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Roko Karanusic/Lovro Zovko (CRO) v Lukas Dlouhy/Jan Hajek (CZE)*
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Radek Stepanek (CZE)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)*
The clay that was so helpful in defeating the Americans shouldn't do the Croatians many favors against the Czechs, who are arguably more comfortable on the stuff than the hosts. If I was Croatia, I would have tried to find a grass court. The clay should neutralize Cilic and Karlovic's power, and Berdych and Stepanek's superior movement should put them on top. Berdych and Stepanek are two of the most unpredictable players in the game, but I like the Czechs to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Czech Republic 3-2
ISRAEL @ SPAIN
Venue: Polaris World la Torre Golf Resort, Torre Pacheco, Murcia (Outdoor Clay)
David Ferrer (ESP) v Harel Levy (ISR)
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) v Dudi Sela (ISR)
Feliciano Lopez/Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andy Ram/Jonathan Erlich (ISR)*
David Ferrer (ESP) v Dudi Sela (ISR)*
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) v Harel Levy (ISR)*
Even without their two highest ranked players, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, Spain should be in no trouble against Israel. On clay, in front of a home crowd, Ferrer and Ferrero should be unchallenged by either Sela or Levy. It was an incredible run for Israel to get this far, but it's going to end with a thud.
Prediction: Spain 5-0
There are also eight playoff ties for spots in the world group: Austria at Chile, Ukraine at Belgium, Ecuador at Brazil, France at Netherlands, India at South Africa, Uzbekistan at Serbia, Romania at Sweden, and Switzerland at Italy. Lot of big stakes for all involved countries, as a fairly uneven draw gives some lesser countries an opportunity to sneak through to the world group.
Should be a good weekend of tennis to wrap up what has otherwise been a fairly dull, hungover week following the US Open.
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Gael Monfils drops the first set to Thiemo de Bakker in the Netherlands, easily the most bizarre storyline so far.
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Link to Netherlands/France stream: http://atdhe.net/7635/watch-netherlands-vs-france
With the clay court and the Dutch fans, it’s a LOT of orange.
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Spain 1-0
Ferrer easily handles Levy, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
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de Bakker is doing a great job of keeping these rallies short against Monfils. Very aggressive, coming to net, taking away Monfils time well.
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Tsonga looks concerned on the sidelines as Monfils continues to struggle.
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Karlovic breaks Stepanek already, leads 2-0. Stepanek double faulted on break point.
Could be an easy win for Karlovic if Stepanek is already getting himself broken.
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Stepanek breaks Karlovic right back, back on serve at 2-1.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Switzerland 1-0 Italy
Wawrinka def. Seppi 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
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India 1-0 South Africa
Devvarman def. van der Merwe 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4
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Monfils takes the second 7-5 to level the match.
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de Bakker recovers well, up a break 2-0 on Monfils in the second.
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4-0 de Bakker over Monfils. Monfils is getting way too cutesy out there.
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First set to Karlovic, 7-5 in the tiebreak.
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How do you say Heimlich in Dutch? de Bakker is choking mightily, missing lots of easy balls to let Monfils hang around in this set. 5-3 now.
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But de Bakker survives, takes the third 6-3 to go up 2 sets to 1.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions
de Bakker up a break in the fourth, and a long injury timeout for Monfils.
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Ferrero takes the first over Sela 6-4. Neither playing particularly well.
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Netherlands 1-0 France
de Bakker def. Monfils 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
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Huge win for de Bakker, over a guy 100+ spots above him who didn’t even play all that badly.
The orange people were very happy.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
20 aces already for Karlovic. Clay isn’t hurting at all, may even be helping his balls kick up more.
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Hardly a subtle get-up Sela is playing in—huge Israeli flag across his chest.
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Serbia 1-0 Uzbekistan
Tipsarevic def. Istomin 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions
Stepanek takes the second set tiebreak 7-5
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions
Switzerland 2-0 Italy
Federer def. Bolelli 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:31 AM EDT reply actions
There hasn’t been so much as a break point in Stepanek-Karlovic since the third game of the match.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:31 AM EDT reply actions
Belgium 1-0 Ukraine
C. Rochus def. Marchenko 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:43 AM EDT reply actions
India 2-0 South Africa
Bopanna def. de Voest 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 10:48 AM EDT reply actions
Hanescu goes up 2 sets to 0 on Vinciguerra, winning a 12-10 tiebreak
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
Stepanek takes the third 8-6 in the breaker.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions
Spain 2-0 Israel
Ferrero def. Sela 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions
Romania 1-0 Sweden
Hanescu def. Vinciguerra 7-6(5), 7-6(10), 0-0 ret.
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by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 18, 2009 11:21 AM EDT reply actions
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