Nice post, Pete. Thanks. I'm anxious to see if Fish and Isner can make it competitive. And I hope Ryan doesn't completely fall apart on the big stage. :) Tough spot being thrown into Bob's rather large dubs shoes.

So my guess was right that the next post would still be about the Switz/US tie :)
Totally agree it is no gimme for the swissies.

The picture on the main page makes me think of a common scene from old westerns. The local cowboys are sitting out in from of the saloon when the famous, high paid gunman from out of town (usually played by John Wayne) walks by. ;)

Dave g, lol. Well done. It does look like that. Too funny. :)

I think you can all see what I mean about track jackets in this picture. The Swiss ones are nice. The US ones are boring.

@ tina - you're welcome - I love Arthur Ashe!

@ Aube - I too love track jackets.

Team Italia look like waiters: http://news.daylife.com/photo/0epM2Cf2UrbIW?__site=daylife

Russia vs Austria:
http://news.daylife.com/photo/05N73Bc5b21BC?__site=daylife&q=russia+davis+cup

haha TennisDeb,I thought you were taking a shot at my boring look when I wear them,lol!but even that would not detach me from the awesome track jackets!

Can't wait for the week-end for the matches but why does Tennis channel delay broadcast them,nooooooooooooooooooooo!

Good one dave g, but can we substitute Wayne for maybe Clint Eastwood?

The Maid has got it together. And Petra M is being Petra M

"The Swiss had just a two-man team consisting of Marc Rosset and Jakob Hlasek."

They only have a 2-man team now... well, maybe 1.5.

CWATC

I am glad I didtn have a bet with you

Spot On:)

Young Ryan happens to be one of my up and coming young favs.

His Hair isnt bad too:)

I had to laugh when Wertheim wrote that if the US were to "upset" Switzerland, it would be like the greatest upset in DC history or something. What the f...? How is that even possible? Yes, Fed is ranked higher than Fish, but Isner is ranked higher than Wawrinka. And the US still has one half of the #1 doubles team in the world. This tie is absolutely no gimme.

Meanwhile, Serbia and Spain are heavily favored in their ties despite not having Djoker and Rafa. Oh, if it were only that way for Switzerland....

While I'd love to see the US of A pull out a win, no way is Roger losing. Rog looks rested, healthy, and dialed in. But we've had crazier things happen sportswise over the last 12 months, right? Hey the Giants snagged the Superbowl (they lost to the Eagles, for heaven's sake), Cards won the World Series (I don't think I'll ever forgive the Braves for that one), Tiger wins the Masters-I guess two out of three cinderellas isn't too bad! Go USA.

Pete Bodo is on fire today! Mentioning "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and making "The Roger Federer problem" sound like "The Bonnie Situation" in 'Pulp Fiction.'

Seriously, though, I'm expecting a lot of fight from Isner. After all, he took Rafa to 5 sets at the French Open. Now I also expect Rafa to say he is "an underdog" to Isner this year at RG.

I hope Mardy doesn't crumble like he tends to in the big matches (see every Grand Slam event ever and DC tie vs Spain 2011).

I bet Harrison is pretty jazzed to get to play.

manixdk,it's likely Marion is going to take that one but she's sweating out game number 4,lol!advantage her now!

Davis Cup (Friday - Saturday - Sunday)
* = Number 1 player

Spain vs Kazakhstan (8 AM - 9 AM - 8 AM)
Ferrero vs Kukushkin*
Almagro* vs Golubev
Granollers/M Lopez vs Korolev/Schukin

Austria vs Russia (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Melzer* vs Kunitsyn
Haider-Maurer vs Bogomolov*
Marach/Peya vs Davydenko/Youzhny

Canada vs France (5 PM - 5 PM - 5 PM)
Raonic, Pospisil, Dancevic and Nestor vs Tsonga, Monfils, Benneteau and Llodra

Switzerland vs United States (7 AM - 8:30 AM - 6 AM)
Wawrinka vs Fish*
Federer* vs Isner
Federer/Wawrinka vs M Bryan/Harrison

Czech Republic vs Italy (10 AM - 9 AM - 7 AM)
Stepanek vs Seppi*
Berdych* vs Bolelli
Cermak/Rosol vs Bracciali/Starace

Serbia vs Sweden (8 AM - 8 AM - 8 AM)
Tipsarevic* vs Prpic
Troicki vs Ryderstedt*
Tipsarevic/Zimonjic vs Brunstrom/Lindstedt

Japan vs Croatia (10 PM Thursday - 10 PM Friday - 10 PM Saturday)
Soeda vs Dodig*
Nishikori* vs Karlovic
Ito/Sugita vs Karlovic/Zovko

Germany vs Argentina (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Petzschner vs Monaco*
Mayer* vs Nalbandian
Haas/Petzschner vs Monaco/Nalbandian

"Hey the Giants snagged the Superbowl"

Anne, don't rub it in. :)

If only the 49'ers Kyle Williams could field a punt and hang onto the ball once he did.

On the subject of track jackets, the Swiss ones are really nice. But such a different style from the US too. They look classy, with the ribbed waist and cuffs, and the nice collar. The US jackets look like the thin, cheapo variety. And are they warming up in the rain, or why do the US jackets need the hoodie? :)

I'll be real surprised if the US gets one point-the mental fortitude of this US crew is a wee bit suspect, methinks.

Anne

Still over the moon with my Giants wins:)

Ahead3,

Yes, definitely Clint Eastwood. Remember that great scene at the beginning of Fistful of Dollars where Eastwood rides into town and the local boys make fun of him and his mule. A little later he comes back and asks them to apologize to the mule in one of the classic Eastwod scenes....and we all know what happens next.

Anne: "I'll be real surprised if the US gets one point-the mental fortitude of this US crew is a wee bit suspect, methinks."

Ahem, Isner? He's got mental fortitude. See 5 setters against Rafa, Nole and Mahut. Also, whichever one of the Bryans is playing has won 40,000* GS titles. I'll give you the Hothead and Fish, though. But I still love them all!

*Exaggeration

In regards to Almagro aka Headcase....I hope he cherishes the opportunity he has in the new look Spain team:)

Don't get me started on the craziness Sher-I just thought it was dumb luck they won that 1st one. But to come back @ 9-7 and win the whole shebang a 2nd time-oyvey?! Now that's some divine intervention-just what this US squad needs.

Envoué Marion- Put her away.

"On the subject of track jackets, the Swiss ones are really nice. But such a different style from the US too. They look classy, with the ribbed waist and cuffs, and the nice collar. The US jackets look like the thin, cheapo variety. And are they warming up in the rain, or why do the US jackets need the hoodie? :)"

Hum, don't we already know about creaminess on all things swiss already?lol!

Anne

Sherlock is just a jealous man who has deep vented thingy's

Sometimes it pays just to humour him:)

Isner is very good at extending the top players to 5 sets but at the end of the day he always ends up losing.

Don't get me wrong, Deb, I love me some Izzy. But he had no business taking 30+ hours or however long it was to beat Mahut @ Wimby-thing should've been over in staights (like he did the next year, I think). Unfortunately, I think Jimbo Courier may be the mentally toughest of the bunch-yikes.

@ Sherlock - I didn't even notice the hoodie part. Ugh. Just ugh.

And why are we stuck with Red/White/Blue? Why can't we freestyle like the Netherlands does with the Orange (not on their flag) and the Aussies do with green/gold (obviously Green Bay Packers fans). We could do purple or something.

And yes, I know there is historical significance to the Orange for the Dutch (Wm of Orange) and Green/Yellow for Australia (Sir Stephen 1984).

Hey, I get to see France playing Raonic, how about that?!!!

or better yet TennisDeb a la Bob marley,green yellow? etc

Anne: "Don't get me wrong, Deb, I love me some Izzy. But he had no business taking 30+ hours or however long it was to beat Mahut @ Wimby-thing should've been over in staights (like he did the next year, I think). Unfortunately, I think Jimbo Courier may be the mentally toughest of the bunch-yikes."

I know, I know, but we can at least hope he can extend Fed to 5 grueling sets. If anyone can, it's Johnny! I fear the reality will be easy 3 setter for Roger, but you never know.

Here's me pumping up Sher, Marg-better luck with the Niners next year!

Aube: "or better yet TennisDeb a la Bob marley,green yellow? etc"

Dreadlock Rasta. Obviously, if Jamaica had a Davis Cup team, their colors would be the best. I don't know if their jackets could achieve the awesomeness that is Russia's, though.

"Sherlock is just a jealous man who has deep vented thingy's"

AM, leave my thingy's out of this. :)

"I didn't even notice the hoodie part. Ugh. Just ugh."

Lol. Classy, isn't it? :) Is Bill Belichick choosing the outfits?

TennisDeb,I fear movement will be the fate for Isner,as we know The FEDERESQUE MASTER will expose his movment just as he did Tomic last AO...serves alone won't do it,Karlovic anyone?

More encouragement for Sher-you got the Freak aka Tim L locked in for next year, enjoy.

Sherlock

Note the 'thingys' part

There are only 365 days in a year

Sherlock: "Lol. Classy, isn't it? :) Is Bill Belichick choosing the outfits?"

Ha! Nah, he's copying them. He filmed footage of their Froot of the Loom Hoodies illegally! Giselle was incensed.

(I'm still bitter about my Packers losing to the Giants, too).

Have I mentioned I Love Eli Manning:)

Ooo, I really like Aaron Rogers-supercutie-and his "discount double check". Yummy.

@ Aube - I know, talk about a "cow on ice" He's like Frankenstein on Ice. Plus Isner has lost to Fed twice - on Hard Courts! I fear it could be ugly. But he's game, so we'll see.

Aaron Rodgers is adorable. He and Nole both got robbed for CNN's Sportsman of the Year.

later guys,off to kick out some calories on the run or incline,bye!

Now Eli on the other hand...not quite as supercutie. I think Peyton's the looker out of the two (I know that's wierd).

@ Anne - weird but true.

Anyway, back to work - have a great day/evening/morning/night all!

Adios-off to do the kiddie roundup!

Lol, Anne. Thanks, regarding Tim L. :) Plus, Tim is a Husky from college days, up close to where I am.

I'm not qualified to comment on Rodgers supercutie status, but I'm not sure I've seen a guy with a more perfect throwing motion. It's like a Federer/Sampras serve. Textbook.

Just like to mention

Lleyton Hewitt is playing in a record - equalling 32nd Davis Cup tie for Australia in Geelong this coming weekend.

I think its a mistake to let play Fed three days in a row on clay when its likely to be a grind. These are five setters.

Its better to let him rest and let him win his 2 points the way he can. In stead of jeopardizing his match on the third day.

It will again come down to Stan to find that one point to win. He managed against Hewitt on grass..he can try and get one point against Fish or Isner.

They should just forget about the doubles..send in two other players..dosen't matter if they are ranked 200 or something. Its better to rest both Stan and Fed for the singles.

Let's do some math. Let's assume Mr Bodo is around 60 years
of age. He references "carrying on and being silly at The
Rocky Horror Picture Show," like he has a personal knowledge.
I know that this phenomenon was happening within a couple years
of the picture's release. It was released in 1975. Am I to
assume that in his mid 20's Mr Bodo went to a movie dressed
like a transvestite and sang this?

http://youtu.be/bc80tFJpTuo

ladyjulia: The strategy for the Swiss (as is always the case) would be to win the first 3 rubbers and then rest Roger and Stan on Sunday.

Reading about Rodgers got me thinking about the State Farm commercials especially at the end where the Cheesehead say Rodgers, Discount Doublecheck (which I think is the hilarious part of the commercial)

Pete,

It's a nice article but your theory that Isner can exhaust Federer by wearing him down is...come on, it's ridiculous! That will NEVER work against Federer.

Federer will toy with Isner and keep making him hit shots, and we all know how error-prone Isner will get while 'grinding' with Roger.

Please. Roger in 3, MAYBE 4 sets against Inser. Stan in 4 or 5 against Mardy. Stan and Fed over Bryan and Harrison.

3 and done.

So, OTHER than - Rafa being twitted by what sounds like a Spanish version of Spitting Image, Novak planning an ever expanding trophy case, the usual run, (run?), of hobbled players, and Roger being all 'meh' about Davis Cup...what I miss? ;-))) 'The Ticker' never lies, no? No. :-)

As for me, I have returned slightly tanned and only a little sand encrusted from a lovely Caribbean holiday. And, like, (or even unlike Roger), I remain pretty 'meh' myself about DC.

D Cup! you stonking beast. i'm all aquiver.

A pro pos of nothing, except maybe really old movies, I just clicked on the web site of our local gum and coke slathered 9plex, on to see that Star Wars, Episode 1 is playing there. I felt like I slipped s decade. And even after I figured out it was a re-release in HD, the question remains - why?

Christina just saved 2 MP to hold for 5-all set 2

CL

Welcome back:)

Meh..meanwhile here in the land of Sydney its still raining 'cats and dogs'

Sydney wont be getting a Summer.D.

I am not looking around for 'designer gum boots' to wear.

oops should read 'I am now looking around for Designer Gum Boots'.

Welcome back, CL!!! Hope you didn't trade watching Brady and Co. for the warm, sunny beaches. :)

He he. Our Biz is aquiver. Must mean big time tennis is near. :)

Oh, and Christina just lost. Boo!

Bad luck Christina!

I don't much care about DC either. Meh... it's a one-off event that is strewn throughout the year. No wonder they have no idea how to market it to the masses. Because you can't. It's a team event that should be played every other year if not every four years. I really couldn't care less, but it's something to watch until the players go back to a real tour event.

Thanks AM/Sherlock- already missing the gently swaying palms, but still, as Miz Dorothy said, 'there' no place like home.'

Sherlock - saw only peripheral Stupor Bowl coverage. Had it been against any team other than a NY team, I would have taken a bit of modest satisfaction in Bellicheat and the Stepford w/'a house bigger than many counties' QB biting the tantalizing dust. As it was, that whole thing was pretty meh as well.

WTA Friday Order of Play

Pattaya City at 3 AM: Zvonareva vs Cirstea, Hsieh vs Mirza, Kirilenko vs Tanasugarn and King vs Hantuchova scheduled
Paris at 8:30 AM: Goerges vs Zakopalova followed by Sharapova vs Kerber
Paris at 1 PM: Vinci vs Bartoli followed by Wickmayer vs Barthel

Davis Cup (Friday - Saturday - Sunday)
* = Number 1 player

Spain vs Kazakhstan (8 AM - 9 AM - 8 AM)
Ferrero vs Kukushkin*
Almagro* vs Golubev
Granollers/M Lopez vs Korolev/Schukin

Austria vs Russia (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Melzer* vs Kunitsyn
Haider-Maurer vs Bogomolov*
Marach/Peya vs Davydenko/Youzhny

Canada vs France (5 PM - 5 PM - 5 PM)
Pospisil vs Tsonga*
Raonic* vs Benneteau
Nestor/Pospisil vs Benneteau/Llodra

Switzerland vs United States (7 AM - 8:30 AM - 6 AM)
Wawrinka vs Fish*
Federer* vs Isner
Federer/Wawrinka vs M Bryan/Harrison

Czech Republic vs Italy (10 AM - 9 AM - 7 AM)
Stepanek vs Seppi*
Berdych* vs Bolelli
Cermak/Rosol vs Bracciali/Starace

Serbia vs Sweden (8 AM - 8 AM - 8 AM)
Tipsarevic* vs Prpic
Troicki vs Ryderstedt*
Tipsarevic/Zimonjic vs Brunstrom/Lindstedt

Japan vs Croatia (10 PM Thursday - 10 PM Friday - 10 PM Saturday)
Soeda vs Dodig*
Nishikori* vs Karlovic
Ito/Sugita vs Karlovic/Zovko

Germany vs Argentina (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Petzschner vs Monaco*
Mayer* vs Nalbandian
Haas/Petzschner vs Monaco/Nalbandian

Davis Cup (Friday - Saturday - Sunday)
* = Number 1 player

Spain vs Kazakhstan (8 AM - 9 AM - 8 AM)
Ferrero vs Kukushkin*
Almagro* vs Golubev
Granollers/M Lopez vs Korolev/Schukin

Austria vs Russia (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Melzer* vs Kunitsyn
Haider-Maurer vs Bogomolov*
Marach/Peya vs Davydenko/Youzhny

Canada vs France (5 PM - 5 PM - 5 PM)
Pospisil vs Tsonga*
Raonic* vs Benneteau
Nestor/Pospisil vs Benneteau/Llodra

Switzerland vs United States (7 AM - 8:30 AM - 6 AM)
Wawrinka vs Fish*
Federer* vs Isner
Federer/Wawrinka vs M Bryan/Harrison

Czech Republic vs Italy (10 AM - 9 AM - 7 AM)
Stepanek vs Seppi*
Berdych* vs Bolelli
Cermak/Rosol vs Bracciali/Starace

Serbia vs Sweden (8 AM - 8 AM - 8 AM)
Tipsarevic* vs Prpic
Troicki vs Ryderstedt*
Tipsarevic/Zimonjic vs Brunstrom/Lindstedt

Japan vs Croatia (11 PM Thursday - 11 PM Friday - 11 PM Saturday)
Soeda vs Dodig*
Nishikori* vs Karlovic
Ito/Sugita vs Karlovic/Zovko

Germany vs Argentina (8 AM - 8 AM - 7 AM)
Petzschner vs Monaco*
Mayer* vs Nalbandian
Haas/Petzschner vs Monaco/Nalbandian

welcome back CL,hope you enjoyyed your vacation...

Aube

I am off to see The Tourist

Give you my thoughts later.

Who would have thought Suisse and USA had a interesting matches like 2001? I was live in Belgrade at Srbija USA tie in 2010 and boy it was tough. Isner and Sam Q. played with great mental strengh, fight was amazing. So like Troicki beat Isner in the first match and than Novak def. Sam Q. the Swiss need 2-0 the first day.

The doubles was the other bro B, and Isner and trust me it will be the same in Switzerland. Isner with that serve has to play doubles. Any coach will put him out there

Can Stan do a Troicki and win 1st match?

lmao it's not like "stalwart" roddick could beat a top 10 player. facepalms*

AM, great for Hewitt. Who are you playing-

Deal Madame President!,would love to hear it!

Wasn't it The Artist Madame President? cause I've seen the Tourist with the inimitable Madame Brad Pitt,Angelina Jolie,and oui jolie she is!

Surprised but not totally unexpected that the DC write up is about the US and from the Yank's point of view. I would have thought that Peter will at least balance his writing with reports on other match ups. Disappointing that tennis should be so US centred rather than viewed as a universal sport. Will tennis.com write up of the DC disappear if the US talent fall away or not reach the World Group?

just once Id love to read a snarky tone that Nadal, 'citing' a bad knee, pulled out of some away Davis Cup tie NOT on clay (its happened many times, no?) ... only Fed's injuries get the arched eyebrow, Rafa can blow steam about non-injuries and no one would DARE question him ... pffft!

yea Alexis, geez... nice draw, Spain... Davis Cup Cupcake!

Did any tennis writer portray David Ferrer and his teammates as "abandoned" and "lonely" by Nadal not playing in the Spain-USA match in Texas last July?

Since the same standards are not applied, then why should Wawrinka feel abandoned by Federer not showing up for this relic, white elephant and burden called gthe Davis Cup involving a tie between the USA and Switzerland? The happiness Wawrinka got from winning the Olympic gold with Federer would compensate for Federer not showing up. Wawrinka knows his role and place in Switzerland, just like David Ferrer, Verdasco and Lopez know theirs in Spain. Yet Wawrinka is very capable of stepping up just like he did on his worst surface (grass) in an away match against Lleyton Hewitt (who has won more grass court matches than Pete Sampras).

The reality seems to be that the Swiss team are not as uptight about the match as Bodo makes it appear. As Federer said: “It’s just another tie for me. It doesn’t matter when and where it is, it’s all a matter of priorities. My team is a group of great friends, that’s what I enjoy about it, that I can spend some time with them, and hopefully try to win but if we don’t it doesn’t matter. It’s about trying your best and having a good time.” hey're going to have a good time and have a few laughs, win or lose. Nobody is going to die because of Davis Cup. Nobody's resume is going to be affected by Davis Cup. The larger Tennis World -- and most players -- do not really care about Davis Cup, even if they din't say it out aloud.
http://www.daviscup.com/media/109896/109896_BigPicture.jpg

The latest matches Wawrinka played against both Mardy Fish and John Isner last year were three set affairs on hardcourts.

i mean lets face it, Stan Stan is akin to Lopez, Almagro, Ferrero, Verdasco and not even close to Ferru ... he has to win one match and his ranking says he wont ... Id love to see Nadal carry, say, Lopez to a win on a hardcourt away, and have to play and win in doubles as well...

Nads wouldnt have ONE Davis Cup title, but Fed is expected to do just that ... or he lacks 'fire' as a competitor .. hilarious!

Posted by Master Ace 02/09/2012 at 08:50 AM

"Yolita,
Late to discussion but good points about Federer could be seeded 2. Do not forget that Federer is playing Rotterdam next week and if he wins that one, you can put 500 pts on his number..."

I din't know that Roger was playing Rotterdam, MA. He seems keen to take the #2 from Rafa before Roland Garros. Being the #2 seed in Roland Garros could greatly benefit Roger, there would be a 50/50 chance of Rafa being drawn in Novak's half. I would fancy Roger's (and Andy's) chances against the winner of a hypothetical epic semi between Rafa and Nole.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Ruth 02/09/2012 at 10:16 AM

"...Even more important, never, never bring patriotism or other such isms into discussions of DC participation. They're usually equally irrelevant and far from the thought processes of most players when they make their DC decisions -- even if they say, quite honestly, that they enjoy representing their country in a team effort..."

How can you speak with so much authority about the thought processes of most players? How do you know? Since I cannot read minds, I have to go with facts. It's a fact that winning Davis Cup for Serbia changed Novak almost beyond recognition. He said in 2010 that it was the most important event of the year for him, many people chose to doubt him and ridicule him. It turns out he was right. Winning the Davis Cup for his country gave him the strength he needed to realise his potential. The results are in front of our very eyes.

But maybe it's just him, and no other player cares about his country...Maybe... I seriously doubt it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to today's topic: In my opinion Davis Cup is a vibrant, exciting event eagerly followed by many tennis fans around the world. I love its format and I love the fact that every country gets to cheer for their players, in whatever group they are. There's something for everybody. :)

I had never seen so many Canadians talking non-stop about their coming tie against France. They have a chance, I think! In fact, I think Canada has a better chance of winning their tie than the US... Mardy hasn't been at his best lately...

How will we choose which matches to watch this weekend? So many to choose from... I love Davis Cup week-ends... XD

Haha! The picture on the main "tennis.com" page for this article is hilarious! They (Yanks) look like little kids to the master!
Classic.

Tim (warning: pesky CHAIRS cause knee damage!):

"... Id love to see Nadal carry, say, Lopez to a win on a hardcourt away..."

Nadal wouldn't have to carry Lopez, Lopez did exactly that on his own: he defeated Mardy Fish on a hardcourt in Austin last year.

The reason Nadal is under less pressure than other top players is that Spain is a tennis powerhouse. They have so many top players... There's always somebody capable of winning a match in a tricky tie... With or without Rafa...

switch out Lopez for Verdasco, Almagro, etc., same thing, its a very iffy proposition, and thats why Nadal so rarely travels outside Spain to play Davis Cup... its not exactly brave for him to play only ties on clay at home, is it?

taht said, Im psyched Fed is playing this weekend, makes for some real fun, doesnt it?

Oh yes... I'm really looking forward to seeing Roger play this week-end. As you say, it'll be great fun. I'm also looking forward to Raonic-Tsonga. That's going to be a great match too. Lucky us. XD

olita: Here you go:

++pa·tri·ot·ism   /ˈpeɪtriəˌtɪzəm or, especially Brit., ˈpæ-/ Show Spelled[pey-tree-uh-tiz-uhm or, especially Brit., pa-] Show IPA
noun
devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty. ++

Based on this definition, I stand firm on everything I said, including the inferences that I've drawn about how the players feel as a result of my following Davis Cup for many, many years; drawing these inferences BTW do not require either super-intelligence or mind-reading skills. That's why I'm able to do that. :)

Perhaps, I'm just wary about the way that patriotism (and its ugly cousin, nationalism) has often ruined sports (and other perfectly good) events. Who knows?

Incidentally, I rather like the way that Federer describes his feelings about his participation in DC; the description is quoted by Crystal @ 7:33. Check it out (paragraph #3).

Two most interesting ties are between France v Canada and Japan v Croatia. USA v Swiss comes in a close third. The Japanese ladies set a high bar for the men by winning 5-0, let's see if Kei can bring some of that Oz momentum to DC.
Love Sweden's No. 2's name. Too bad Le Marqis is still out of commission, will he ever be able to make a comeback?

hey izidane,I haven't seen you on Steve's psot about NOLE winning the LAUREUS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD,I try several times to post a congratulatory note but it won't let me, telling me your session had expired?go figure
anyway,I'm happy for THE HURRICANE, bottom line!

Ruth:

I know the definition of patriotism. My objection is to the word "most" and to the complete conviction with which you speak about what's on most players' minds when they make decisions. There are many Davis Cup ties which are not even mentioned. Mexico plays El Salvador, for instance. They are also tennis players. They take it very seriously. They are proud to represent their country...

My main point is that one should be very careful when generalisisng about human beings. Especially about "what they really think". It doesn't really matter. You are obviously convinced of your statement. I would need more proof. But that's probably professional deformation (I'm a mathematician).

I saw the quote you refer to. Personally I find it very hard to believe that for Federer there is a tennis match in which winning is not important. That's based on my knowledge of the very competitive people around me. But maybe it's true in his case. I don't particularly care. :)

But I can tell you one thing, many players don't feel that way about Davis Cup ties. I'm sure Novak doesn't, and Carlos Moya, and David Nalbandian, and many others...

Some of the most epic matches I've watched have been Davis Cup matches. There is altogether another feel to them. A kind of intensity and a feeling of relevance that is not always present in other tournaments. Which is why I love Davis Cup. My impression is that players are not there just to "try their best and have fun". But that's just my impression.

Roger will indeed have fun this week-end. I don't see John or Mardy being any kind of threat to him. But let's see. Davis Cup always has a surprise. :)

Hi Aube.
Thanks for the congrats, all I did was cheer and cower from my seat while Mr. 77-6 did all the work:) I'm glad he's being rewarded, most of all..I'm glad tennis players have been recognized for the 5th (or 4th?)time. I've been attending to some health issues plus work so I haven't read Steve's post yet. Heading over now.

You're welcome izidane,your tennis star is actually outstanding!more power to him...

Yolita: I don't think that Roger's saying what he did about enjoying the experience means that winning the tie is not important to him. No way. Let me remind you that I'm one of the crazy people who believe that, when professional tennis players meet, even in exhibitions (not those hit-and-giggle celeb things f course), they play to WIN.

But there I go drawing conclusions from what I've learned about athletes, sportsmen, competitors etc. :)

BTW I think that playing for a team, playing with and for your teammates (instead of just yourself), and knowing that others are depending on you are some of the things that make players passionate about DC and make them enjoy the experience very much. Those things trump patriotism IMHO.

AM
I saw your post on the other thread. Thanks for the Info. My Computer is working at the moment.
Have a great weekend.

Hopp Switzerland!

Ruth,

I agree with you that professional tennis players play to win, even in exhibitions. Which is why I find it hard to believe Roger when he says "and hopefully try to win but if we don’t it doesn’t matter..." I'm sure it does matter, he was probably trying take some pressure off Stan.

I don't think playing for a team, with all it implies, trumps patriotism. I think it's all part and parcel of the same thing. But let's agree to disagree on that one. We have a lot of very passionate tennis to enjoy this week-end, don't we? Cheers, Ruth. Enjoy your Davis Cup week-end. :)

Cheers, Yolita. I'm glad to have another DC lover around. Now, all I will hope for is that there are no TWibers who don't care for DC but who consider it their duty to express their dislike via running negative commentary while the matches are going on. Since I currently have no access to Tennis Channel and geting live streams can be dodgy where I am now, I'll be depending on scoreboarding plus match calls etc from any kind TWibers to know how things are going.

And now, I must call it a night so that I can be up bright and early to follow the earliest matches. See y'all!

I feel a little less confident than Pete does about the American team's chances, or perhaps more confident about Wawrinka on clay. Despite Fish's victories in Colombia, the Swiss #2 stands a few notches above Giraldo etc., and I didn't think that the American #1 looked good at all in Melbourne. Isner definitely can threaten anybody on any surface, though, so the Swiss won't want the tie to come down to the fifth rubber. It surprised me that the US will use Harrison rather than Isner with Mike Bryan, but maybe that lineup will change if they get a win on Friday and put themselves in a more realistic position to spring the upset.

You can read my preview on all of the Davis Cup ties at http://sharapovanovic.com if you would like.

Aube

LOL! I meant The Artist....Brain Fail

Wowser,Woweser,Wowser...the best film I have seen in 10 years plus.The film grabbed my attention from start to finish.The French guy will win the Oscar for Best Actor,The Artist will win the oscar for The Best Picture.I will go and see it again.Even the dog should get a award.People in the theatre stood up and clapped....I felt on a complete High after watching it.

Zeljana

Australia are playing China on grass at Geelong in Melbourne with a chance again to get make in the top group.Tomic is the other singles player.Hewitt and Chris Guccione will play the doubles.They beat Federer/Stan in the Swiss tie last year.Good doubles team.

I just got home and will go find the results.

Both Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic won their singles tie in straight sets.Australia will play the doubles tie tomorrow..with Hewitt and Guccione.

Count me in as another who love DC.Having attending DC over the years its just like no other tournament.D.

What have we learned in this thread?

According to Crystal: "Nobody's resume is going to be affected by Davis Cup."

I wonder if Slam winners--such as Djokovic, Hewitt, Roddick, and Ferrero--believe that their resumes haven't been enhanced by their successes in Davis Cup play.

Furthermore, we are told: "[T]hey [the powers that be?] have no idea how to market it [Davis Cup] to the masses."

The masses?

Has some statistically valid study been released that has the conclusion that the "masses" are subject to more successful marketing with respect to the ATP tour events than Davis Cup?

Were the Serbians celebrating Serbia's Davis Cup title in public places a little over a year ago all members of Serbia's petit bourgeousie and bourgeousie (including Serbia's one-percenters)?

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Aussie Open Champion Plays Qatar Total Open 2012
07 Feb 2012
• Qatar Total Open will be held February 13 through 19, 2012
• 10th anniversary of tournament will bring top tennis players to Qatar, including Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, Sam Stosur and defending champion, Vera Zvonareva

My understanding of it goes like this: the way Federer's endorsement deals are structured (Nike, Rolex, Lindt, NetJets, Wilson, Credit Suisse, etc.) he receives a massive pay bonus every time he wins a Grand Slam. Most of the pay bonuses were also contingent on him beating (and keeping) Sampras' record, so that's why he and his team were very focused on him racking up GS titles for his most viable years. Fed Corp was not making much money during years 2003-2005 so they felt they had to go all out for the remaining years to catch up. Thus, he went from having his perfume line, a dairy company and Maurice Lacroix all the way to a big licensing deal with Nike, Credit Suisse, Mercedes Benz and Rolex.

They knew that he had very few bankable years left (and they lost a lot of potential income when they decided to keep it in house until he won his sixth grand slam) so they said everything was secondary to GS titles because that's what brought home the bacon. In a way, the strategy paid off and Federer went from a measly 8 million to over 52 million dollars a year.

Now that the family coffers are full, he can be a little but more gregarious and go on to play Davis Cup.