Andy Murray and Roger Federer help Davis Cup recover some of its lost sparkle

Comments

After years of head-scratching, the International Tennis Federation has come up with some new-look branding in the hope of revitalising the Davis Cup brand.

The venerable team competition is now appearing on posters as “the World Cup of tennis”, while a promotion entitled “Show Your Colours” is using each team’s flags as a rallying point for fans.

A desperate and underpowered attempt to regain a little of the cup’s lost limelight?

Time will tell, but let us not be too negative. This was already promising to be a good weekend for the competition before a ball had been hit.

For one thing, the return of Andy Murray and Great Britain to the world group has added significantly to its historical resonance.

Related Articles

Murray steps to the plate for US showdown

31 Jan 2014

Wimbledon wedding just a wind-up, confesses Murray

29 Jan 2014

Wawrinka heralds new era

27 Jan 2014

Nadal coach hits out at crowd

27 Jan 2014

Wawrinka: I never expected to win

26 Jan 2014

Nadal v Wawrinka: as it happened

26 Jan 2014

Their first-round tie against the US, which started on Friday night when Murray faced Donald Young at San Diego’s Petco Park, is a rematch of the first Davis Cup tie from Boston in 1900, which the hosts won 3-0.

The British team have underperformed for so long that a victory here would be their first in the world group since 1986.

And yet, only eight years before that, John Lloyd and Buster Mottram faced John McEnroe and his fellow Americans in another epic: the 1978 final at Palm Springs.

Perhaps it is jingoistic to suggest that the resurgence of Great Britain – which has been powered by some inspired selections by team captain Leon Smith and an array of strong doubles players – benefits the whole competition.

But everyone loves to beat the Brits, in any sport. It is just that, in tennis, those victories are slightly less easy to come by than they used to be.

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s attempt to land a first Davis Cup title has been boosted by Roger Federer’s decision to participate in the first match of the year.

Normally, Federer leaves Stan Wawrinka – the Australian Open champion – in charge and rides in at the last gasp to head off relegation in the September play-off.

This year, though, Federer seems to have been inspired by the possibility of actually winning the competition.

And it is hard to see who might stop the Swiss champions if both stay fit and available throughout the season.

Until yesterday, the last nation to combine two individual grand slam winners was Spain, which brought together Rafael Nadal and Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2005.

After Nadal came within a match of adding a 14th grand slam title to his tally in Australia a week ago, it is easy to see why Federer might want to shore up the only gap in his otherwise impeccable CV: the lack of a Davis Cup title (Nadal, by comparison, has four.)

Success in the final in 10 months’ time would certainly add another wrinkle to the ongoing “greatest of all time” debate.

But whatever Federer’s motivations, it was encouraging to see the most lauded figure in the sport return to the fray against Serbia on Friday, easing past Ilija Bozoljac in straight sets in Novi Sad.

The only shame is that he will not be playing Novak Djokovic on Sunday, for the world No2 has opted for a skiing trip to his childhood home of Kopaonik instead.

Here we see the chief difficulty of team competitions in men’s tennis.

For the best part of a decade, the sport’s narrative has revolved around the crunching collisions between the super-elite in the final stages of grand slams.

Yet when was the last time this happened in the Davis Cup?

The same problem applies to the proposed International Tennis Premier League, a plan to create star-studded teams based in four Asian cities, which is being assembled by former doubles champion Mahesh Bhupathi.

You could see Murray or Djokovic agreeing to hang out in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for a couple of weeks in December; they would be doing warm-weather training somewhere else at that time of the year anyway.

But it is hard to see them clocking up any extra miles by making the journeys to away trips, which would forestall the tastiest match-ups.

The variety and passion of the Davis Cup make it an important cog in the calendar, even now. Y

et until the big names start to “show their colours” more often, the competition will continue to struggle for airtime.

 Davis CupSport »Tennis »Andy Murray »Roger Federer »Simon Briggs » 

Tennis action photos

Tennis action photos: the best full colour tennis action imagesAdvertisement

View the Original article

Andy Murray gets Great Britain off to a smooth start against USA in the Davis Cup

Comments

Andy Murray played hardball in the baseball stadium on Friday night, as he got Great Britain off to the smoothest of starts in this intriguing Davis Cup tie.

At Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, Murray demolished Donald Young of the USA in just 98 minutes: 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.

Murray had lost to Young before, in one of his spring slumps after the Australian Open, but there was little chance of a repeat here once he had found his feet on a slippery but slow-paced clay court.

The match was competitive for around five minutes, which was about as long as it took Murray to survive a tense opening service game that featured two deuces. After that, he cranked up his forehand and started playing some high-level tennis.

For a man who has never been comfortable on clay courts in the past, it was an encouraging display. Realistically, Great Britain's prospects of winning this tie depend on Murray being able to deliver three points – one of them with the help of Colin Fleming in today's doubles.

Related Articles

Murray and Federer help to boost Davis Cup

31 Jan 2014

Murray steps to the plate for US showdown

31 Jan 2014

Wimbledon wedding just a wind-up, confesses Murray

29 Jan 2014

Wawrinka heralds new era

27 Jan 2014

Nadal coach hits out at crowd

27 Jan 2014

Wawrinka: I never expected to win

26 Jan 2014

It is thus crucial for Britain's greatest asset to conserve energy over the weekend, and yesterday he was magnificently economical. Young could not handle Murray's accuracy and authority, despite enthusiastic support from the 4,000-odd fans at Petco Park and pep talks from his team captain Jim Courier, whose natty grey suit made him resemble one of the Premier League's more elegant continental managers.

A left-hander ranked No. 79 in the world, Young is perhaps not best suited to playing on a surface as slow as this one. The USA have not hosted a home tie on clay for more than 20 years, but they had hoped to have John Isner – the world No. 13 and a proficient dirtballer – to lead their team.

Unfortunately Isner was ruled out by an ankle injury and they have ended up with Sam Querrey – who was due to face British No. 2 James Ward in the second match yesterday – plus the erratic and unpredictable Young. As a man who likes to come forward, and has more touch in his hands than power in his groundstrokes, Young would surely have preferred a slick hard court.

It is possible that Young could end up playing a decisive anchor leg in this tie on Sunday afternoon, when it will be his turn to face Ward. The Briton is ranked 96 places below him but he will have observed Young's tendency to throw in a duff game amid some bold stroke play. It took the

American until midway through the third set to even earn a break point, and then he was unable to convert.

Despite Murray's fine start, he and the British team have not been delighted with the quality of a court that was laid only a couple of weeks ago. Clay courts normally take at least a year to bed down, so creating one from scratch is never quite the same as going out to play at Monte Carlo or Roland Garros.

The top layer of granules is so loose that the ballboys were struggling to keep their footing. Murray and Young were much steadier, having spent the past week getting the hang of it, and indeed Murray moved – and slid – with impressive control and speed. But he did call the chair umpire, Henrik Molina, down to look at a dicey patch late in the first set.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer's surprise decision to play in Switzerland's first-round tie in Novi Sad, Serbia's second city, was rewarded yesterday with a straight-sets victory over Ilija Bozoljac. The only shame is that he will not be playing Novak Djokovic on Sunday, for the world No. 2 has opted for a skiing trip to his childhood home of Kopaonik instead.

It is not common to see Federer involved in the Davis Cup at this early stage of the season. Normally he leaves his old mate Stan Wawrinka in charge and rides in at the last gasp to head off relegation in the

September play-off. But Wawrinka's recent flowering must have encouraged him to think that Switzerland could lift the Cup this year for the first time in their history.

Andy Murray

 Davis CupSport »Tennis »Andy Murray »Roger Federer »Simon Briggs » 

Tennis action photos

Tennis action photos: the best full colour tennis action imagesAdvertisement

View the Original article

Andy Murray aims to deliver for Great Britain in Davis Cup

Comments

When Andy Murray goes out to face the USA's Donald Young tonight, in the opening rubber of a fascinating Davis Cup tie, he will be playing at the most quintessentially American venue you could imagine: a 40,000-seater baseball ground entitled Petco Park.

Murray – who caused a short-lived media storm on Wednesday with a fake wedding announcement – is often described as left-field, but has never actually played there before. Mind you, the whole experience of contesting a world group match will be a novelty for a British team who have not scored a victory at this elite level for almost 30 years.

Murray's match against Young is due to start at 7pm GMT at this stadium within a stadium. Temporary stands have been set up to the west of the court, reducing capacity to a cosy 8,000, while the east side is overlooked by the soaring bleachers frequented by fans of the San Diego Padres. It might sound like a dog's breakfast, but the US Tennis Association should actually be commended for creating a dramatic and unusual venue.

So what of the tennis? The British team's prospects are certainly stronger than they were 24 hours ago, given that John Isner, the world No 13, has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

"We've got a chance of winning this match even though the US probably go in as strong favourites," said Murray admitted yesterday, after attending the draw ceremony at Balboa Park, adjacent to San Diego's world-famous zoo.

Related Articles

Wimbledon wedding just a wind-up, confesses Murray

29 Jan 2014

Murray: Build-up cost me

23 Jan 2014

Murray sent packing by a fast and furious Federer

22 Jan 2014

Hutchins sets sights on next test

12 Jan 2014

Evans the reluctant Davis Cup hero

08 Jan 2014

Czech Republic retain Davis Cup

17 Nov 2013

In all probability, Murray will still have to win both his singles matches – as well as tomorrow's doubles encounter with the world-leading Bryan brothers – if Great Britain are to progress to the quarter-final stage of the competition in April.

On the face of things, though, the absence of Isner would seem to lighten his load. The biggest concern for Britain's team captain Leon Smith was that Murray would become embroiled in a series of exhausting four- or five-set matches – a particular worry in the light of his painstaking return from back surgery in September.

Of course, Murray could still find it difficult against Young – a left-hander ranked No. 79 – in tonight's opening match, especially on the slippery clay court that seems to have been specifically prepared to make him uncomfortable. But at least it is easier to return serve against Young – a relatively diminutive tennis player at under 6ft tall – than it would have been against the 6ft 9in Isner.

View the Original article

Davis Cup sends Andy Murray to San Diego baseball park to play the United States on clay

Comments

Baseball is one of the few sports that Andy Murray – who grew up excelling at everything from squash to golf – is unfamiliar with. Even so, he has been handed an unexpected chance to perform in a baseball stadium when Great Britain face the United States in February’s Davis Cup tie.

The venue was confirmed last night as Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. A clay court is expected to be laid on the outfield, and temporary seating brought in on one side. Though the organisers will be hoping to fill the capacity of 8,000, tennis may be a tricky sell on the weekend of Jan 31 to Feb 2. The tie finishes on Super Bowl Sunday.

This is the first time the US has hosted a Davis Cup tie on clay since 1992. The American style usually revolves around huge serves and forehands, which play well on faster hard courts. In this case, though, the intention is clearly to muzzle Murray, who has a relatively poor record on clay. He has only ever beaten one top-10 player on the surface, and has also suffered his most debilitating bouts of back trouble during the European clay-court season.

The state of Murray’s back – which underwent surgery two months ago – is likely to be the key issue in this tie. He is hoping to be fit to play the Australian Open in January, though if he managed to reach the final there, as he has done three times in the past four years, he would have to make a quick turnaround, leaving Melbourne on Monday Jan 27 to play his first match in San Diego on the Friday.

“A lot depends how Murray is feeling and how his back goes in Australia,” said Mike Bryan, who will continue his world-beating partnership with his twin Bob in the doubles element of the tie. “He could potentially play doubles with his brother Jamie. That would be great to have two brothers against two brothers, I don’t know if it’s ever happened before.”

Related Articles

Andy Murray caught up in 'gun scare'

08 Nov 2013

Federer tries to silence critics

04 Nov 2013

Chelsea help Arsenal fan Murray

31 Oct 2013

Becker: my fears for injured Murray

21 Oct 2013

Arise Maggie May, Order of the Border (Terrier) Empire

17 Oct 2013

Andy Murray to receive OBE from Prince William

14 Oct 2013

On paper, the Bryans say, the doubles should be decisive, because Murray is higher ranked than either of the US’s likely singles players, John Isner (No  14) and Sam Querrey (No47). In theory, Murray should win both his singles matches while his back-up man – either Dan Evans or James Ward – would be unlikely to pick up a point.

Still, the 6ft 10in Isner is a dangerous opponent, having beaten Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Davis Cup matches last year.

 Davis CupSport »Tennis »Andy Murray »Simon Briggs » 

Tennis action photos

Tennis action photos: the best full colour tennis action imagesAdvertisement

View the Original article

Andy Murray admits his Davis Cup heroics were fuelled by a fear of critics doubting his commitment

Comments

Andy Murray has revealed that the fear of being branded “unpatriotic” led him to risk his vulnerable back during the Davis Cup tie in Croatia in September — and thus move further down the road to surgery.

Murray, who is still unsure whether he will be fit to play the Australian Open in January, has been involved in Davis Cup rows before. Most famously, he was criticised by his own brother Jamie when he withdrew from a 2008 tie against Argentina citing knee trouble.

The pressure was all the greater this year. Not only had Murray taken a two-year break from the Davis Cup – a period in which he landed both the Wimbledon and US Open titles – but Great Britain’s second-string players had earned the team a chance to return to the World Group.

Murray must have gone to Croatia with serious misgivings, however, after a disappointing campaign on the American hard courts ended in straight-sets defeat against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round of the US Open. Only now has he acknowledged how much pain he was suffering throughout the aftermath of his Wimbledon triumph.

“I decided before Wimbledon that I was going to have the surgery after the US Open,” said Murray, who was speaking at the launch of his new racket, the Head Graphene Radical, at Queen’s Club in London. “Then, obviously, I won Wimbledon so, naturally, my team were like ‘Maybe it’s not the best idea to have it’ and I kind of went along with that.

Related Articles

Djokovic beats Ferrer in Paris

02 Nov 2013

ATP World finals: the eight

02 Nov 2013

Faith powering Del Potro to success

02 Nov 2013

Chelsea help Arsenal fan Murray

31 Oct 2013

Murray: I'll only play in Aussie Open if I can win

31 Oct 2013

Becker: my fears for injured Murray

21 Oct 2013

“But when I started playing on the hard courts again, it was getting worse and worse; I was getting more and more concerned. It was sore and painful and the days were ... I wasn’t allowed to do anything. I couldn’t do any of the other stuff that I enjoyed doing.

“And then I was going to have it after the US Open but then, obviously, if I didn’t play Davis Cup it was because I’m not patriotic enough. But when I started playing it was just so tiring. I was having treatment one night at like 11.30pm and I was like ‘This is all day I’m having to deal with this and I don’t want to have to deal with it any more’. And that was it.”

After three hours on the operating table, Murray is hopeful that the procedure will be worthwhile, even if his rehab has yet to move much beyond running on an underwater treadmill.

“I hope I’ll be able to play better than before,” he said, “because for a couple of years, there’s been shots that I couldn’t hit any more. It was too painful and I couldn’t generate the power.

“So, providing the surgery has gone well, it should help me. I won’t have to play sort of managing an issue. Earlier in the year I was watching videos of when I was playing five, six years ago. There’s some shots that I was saying: ‘I’d love to be able to do that,’ because I couldn’t any more.”

Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation has banned Tunisia from the 2014 Davis Cup after one of its players was ordered not to compete against an Israeli opponent at a second-tier tournament in Uzbekistan last month.

The ITF said the Tunisian federation was guilty of “interfering with international sporting practice” when it ordered Malek Jaziri to withdraw from his quarter-final against Israeli player Amir Weintraub.

“There is no room for prejudice of any kind in sport or in society,” the ITF said.

 TennisSport »Davis Cup »Andy Murray »Simon Briggs »Mobile »

Related Partners

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Tickets at Telegraph Tickets

In Tennis

View the Original article

Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

Top Tory David Davis wants police to record their actions in order to help rebuild a "decline in public trust". 9:52am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

View the Original article