Davis cup - GB vs Russia thread MUST READ

[TopoftheChops]

Evans and ward/baker in the singles tomorrow. Tough ask against the Russians especially without Murray.

[TopoftheChops]

Tursurnov and Donsky playing for Russia in the singles.
Evans vs tursurnov 1st rubber at 2pm.

[TopoftheChops]

It will be James ward in the 2nd rubber vs donsky

[TopoftheChops]

Evans loses first set 6-4 but playing quite well against tursunov.

[TopoftheChops]

Evans breaks in second set 4-3 up

[TopoftheChops]

Tursunov breaks back 5-5 second set

[TopoftheChops]

2nd set going to tiebreaker

[TopoftheChops]

Evans wins the tiebreaker. 1-1 in sets.

[CaledonianCraig]

Russia back ahead. Tursenov wins the second set 6-4.

[ryan86]

You watch some of these Davis Cup matches and you wonder what some of these players are doing the other 11 months of the year.

Frank Dancevic destroying Granollers, but very little so far this year.

Dan Evans, nearly 350 in the world, but competing with Top 100 players in the Davis Cup.

[The Special Juan]

My theory is that (no disrespect) the DC is probably the one event in their careers these players are enjoying the limelight. Evans may never play on the biggest courts in tennis so this is his chance to make something happen. He did it last time, didn't he?

[TopoftheChops]

Evans loses but played a great game. 6-4 6-7 6-4 5-7 6-4 to Tursunov

[ryan86]

I know the Challenger/Futures series isn't glamarous, a sequence of grim gym halls, sports clubs or hotel facilities, but I can't help, but feel, that they are selling themselves massively short.

[carrieg4]

Well played Evans. A close fought match

[TopoftheChops]

Ward 2 sets up on Donskoy 6-4 6-4. He seems to have improved his game as well which is good to see.

[The Special Juan]

Has the doubles pairing been announced? Hutchins is absent, Marray might still be injured, so does that leave Fleming and Murray/Delgado/the other guy that plays with Huey (unless that is Delgado).

[The Special Juan]

Got it, it's Marray and Fleming. Great to see Mr Marray back.

[LuvSports!]

5th set ward donskoy

[ryan86]

Ward looks dead on his feet.

[carrieg4]

Ward looks dead on his feet.

[TopoftheChops]

5-5 final set

[LuvSports!]

6-6

[LuvSports!]

ward broken

[LuvSports!]

what a way to deny donskoy the match! come on ward!

[ryan86]

And another!

[LuvSports!]

he's done it again!!!

[TopoftheChops]

Come on Wardy!

[LuvSports!]

whats the score my feed has stopped working

[ryan86]

Expected result after Day 1. The Brits need to bottle some of this because they appear way better than their ranking suggests.

[LuvSports!]

he lost

[kingraf]

One of the biggest difficulties facing SA tennis, is that our courts are way too slick, at altitude. The kids arent rallying. They dont have to.

So whats up in Britain?

[The Special Juan]

Flembo and Marray are annihilating the Russians in the doubles. The tie's pretty much over but it's good to see we have another very competent doubles pairing. All that's missing is that second singles player.

[The Special Juan]

GSM F&R - 6-1 6-4 6-2 in about 90 minutes.

[ryan86]

James Ward is older than Andy Murray so I'm not sure he's the one to focus on despite being No.2, but from Davis Cup performances, Dan Evans could certainly achieve more.

[lydian]

Going to be tough today but the Friday matches show we have a chance.
See Serbia had a great doubles win over USA overnight - 15-13 in the 5th! Looks like the fast surface choice didn't work. Querrey is playing US Clay Champs tomorrow too...a tough transition after fast-indoors. Novak first up today vs Sam. Viktor-John likely a dead rubber.

[ryan86]

I kind of think Friday was GB's chance and probably two straight set victories today for Russia beckon.

[The Special Juan]

Ward takes the first set!!

[carrieg4]

Ward takes the first set!!

[hawkeye]

Whilst Ward, Evans etc get all the criticism and even have their funding cut. This from The Times on the 4th of April.

Evans has been dropped from the LTA’s Matrix funding squads, criticised for his lack of endeavour, become an outcast and had his coach taken away from him, yet tomorrow he will be asked to take on either Evgeny Donskoy or Dmitry Tursunov in a five-set battle that has brought from him in the past the kind of inspiration Britain certainly require.

Where is the British player that is beyond criticism here on 606v2? He's not interested in playing for his country in front of British fans despite the LTA bending over backwards in the hope that he may play (some chance!). He's more interested in chasing fans more far a field in the hope that he can enhance his earnings.

While Great Britain would dearly love to have Andy Murray leading their Davis Cup challenge against Russia in Coventry this weekend, the Scot, who is resting in Miami, has turned his attention further east, as his management team make a major push into the biggest untapped market in sport.

Last night, XIX Entertainment, which guides his career off court, announced an intriguing new partnership with Globosport, the company run by the Indian doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, to explore business opportunities in China and India.

Bhupathi set tennis buzzing this week when it was confirmed he is chasing the signatures of the world's leading players to take part in an IPL-style tennis tournament across Asia over three weeks in the November-December break at the end of the year. Murray, it emerges, is at the heart of those plans – although, if his playing schedule grows, he might now be even further away from playing in the Davis Cup for his country

Murray said,: "I believe a mix of Simon's experience and Mahesh's understanding of the sport will create the perfect team for my off-court interests and will allow me to continue to dedicate myself and focus on my goals on the court."



http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/apr/04/andy-murray-davis-cup

If Murray was chasing patriotic support he would follow the example set by the world number 1 Djokovic. His chances of catching Nadal on clay after Nadal has also stolen his momentum are hardly enhanced by a weekend of grueling tennis on the other side of the Atlantic to Monte Carlo. Playing on the fastest indoor hardcourts the Americans could find couldn't even be considered good practice. But there he is earning Sebian support.

[carrieg4]

In my opinion this has been a decent tie for GB no matter what the eventual result.

Both Ward and Evans pushed players ranked much higher than themselves to 5 sets and Fleming/Marray were an extremely effective doubles pairing.

Obviously there is no clear no.2 singles player at the moment but both acquitted themselves very well given their current rankings.

[carrieg4]

Whilst Ward, Evans etc get all the criticism and even have their funding cut. This from The Times on the 4th of April.

Evans has been dropped from the LTA’s Matrix funding squads, criticised for his lack of endeavour, become an outcast and had his coach taken away from him, yet tomorrow he will be asked to take on either Evgeny Donskoy or Dmitry Tursunov in a five-set battle that has brought from him in the past the kind of inspiration Britain certainly require.

Where is the British player that is beyond criticism here on 606v2? He's not interested in playing for his country in front of British fans despite the LTA bending over backwards in the hope that he may play (some chance!). He's more interested in chasing fans more far a field in the hope that he can enhance his earnings.

While Great Britain would dearly love to have Andy Murray leading their Davis Cup challenge against Russia in Coventry this weekend, the Scot, who is resting in Miami, has turned his attention further east, as his management team make a major push into the biggest untapped market in sport.

Last night, XIX Entertainment, which guides his career off court, announced an intriguing new partnership with Globosport, the company run by the Indian doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, to explore business opportunities in China and India.

Bhupathi set tennis buzzing this week when it was confirmed he is chasing the signatures of the world's leading players to take part in an IPL-style tennis tournament across Asia over three weeks in the November-December break at the end of the year. Murray, it emerges, is at the heart of those plans – although, if his playing schedule grows, he might now be even further away from playing in the Davis Cup for his country

Murray said,: "I believe a mix of Simon's experience and Mahesh's understanding of the sport will create the perfect team for my off-court interests and will allow me to continue to dedicate myself and focus on my goals on the court."



http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/apr/04/andy-murray-davis-cup

If Murray was chasing patriotic support he would follow the example set by the world number 1 Djokovic. His chances of catching Nadal on clay after Nadal has also stolen his momentum are hardly enhanced by a weekend of grueling tennis on the other side of the Atlantic to Monte Carlo. Playing on the fastest indoor hardcourts the Americans could find couldn't even be considered good practice. But there he is earning Sebian support.

That is the funniest thing I have read in years. This has to hold the record for number of discredited arguments in one post.

[hawkeye]

Oh! Can't say I'm surprised

[carrieg4]

Oh! Can't say I'm surprised

That's exactly what I said!

[carrieg4]

The point about Evans is a valid one. He said himself recently that he doesn't put in as much effort as he knows he should. He is clearly a very talented player so think how good he could be if he really committed himself to it. He is still young enough to be the strong enough DC no. 2 player we need if he goes for it. We may then have a properly viable DC team!

[carrieg4]

Still a competitive match. Go Ward!

[LuvSports!]

whats the score??

[carrieg4]

1 set all and on serve in the third.

[carrieg4]

Ward took first set 6-4 and Tursanov took second 7-5.

[carrieg4]

Ward served a great ace out wide on deuce followed by good first serve to win the game. Good to see them holding up under pressure.

[LuvSports!]

hey i didn't know bbc sport updates were masquerading as carrieg4! cheers

[Sponsored content]