| Product: |
Davis Cup |
| Date: |
07/11/00 (27 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Great atmosphere, players can perform beyond capabilities
Disadvantages: Some players don't play
I believe that the David Cup is one of the best competitions in the world, and it is unique in that it is a team event. It is the only chance for players to not play for rankings points or prize money, but to represent their country, and try and do the best they can not only for themselves but also for their team mates.
Looking at the results of the Davis Cup over the last few years, I think it is dreadful that many of the US Davis Cup players do not want to represent their country- If I was given the chance to represent Great Britain then no way would I turn it down. Players like Pete Sampras and Michael Chang when he was in his prime do not give the Davis Cup the respect that it deserves. Other countries, Great Britain included have their top players included, so I do not see why the US top players think they are special- anything can happen in Davis Cup- they are not guaranteed to win.
What is great about the Davis Cup is that you can never predict who is going to win- who would have thought Greg Rusedski would lose to Nicholas Lapentti on grass, or that Giovanni Lapentti would beat Arvind Parmar from two sets down. This is what makes the Davis Cup so good to watch- it is so unpredictable, and the atmosphere is simply superb. If I had a choice of what event to watch then I would choose Davis Cup every time- you certainly get involved, and feel like your are doing your bit in cheering on the team.
If the USA think that they are so good then they should look what happened to them last time around when they lost to an Italian team who did not have the best players, but had the mental toughness and the belief that they were not going to be beaten. This is what counts more than anything in Davis Cup. No player is infallible, and many unknown players raise their game to the occasion.
I first started watching Davis Cup in Zimbabwe when I live there and enjoyed it so much that I came all the way to England to watch Zimbabwe play
them (Shame GB lost). The Zimbabwean press took great pride in their team performances, and this was their main way of judging the standard of their players against the world, as they do not have any competitions like Wimbledon in the UK.
When I cam back three years ago, I immediately found out who GB where playing, and I went and watched them. I have seen them against USA, South Africa and most recently in their abysmal performance against Ecuador. You cannot fault GB for lack of effort- they simply do not have the quality players to cover Greg and Tim if they get injured. I think to have a decent team you need to have 3 or 4 world class players- like Australia have at the moment. It works because they won the Davis Cup last year. I think the LTA needs to sort out our system in England so we can get more top class players.
I find that I respect players more if they represent their country, and I can think of no higher honour than this. Obviously the US Players have better things to do- they are too money orientated, which is why they lose a lot of respect.
Another great thing about the Davis Cup is that you can have a coach by your side at the change over and he can sometimes see things you cannot and advise you on what to do to win. I think this is a great idea, and it means you are not all lonely on court, as you will be the other 51 weeks of the year.
People want to change the format of the Davis Cup so it is played every two or four years, but this would not sort out the problem as there is nothing wrong. The Davis Cup has the atmosphere, the spectators and enough players to make it worthwhile, so why change it. Those who do not play are missing out- they are the ones with the problem not the Davis Cup.
Long may it continue to be the premier team tennis competition in the world.
*Update*
In the final of the Davis Cup being held in Barcelona, Spain lead 2-1 going into the final two singl
es tomorrow.
Lleyton Hewitt gave Australia the perfect start with his five set victory, 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Albert Costa which was all the more impressive considering the Spanish crowd were trying to intimidate him at every possible opportunity- booing as he went to serve, whistling as he shouted C'mon etc. It was a terrific performance but unfortunately it has been all down hill since.
Rafter was forced to retire in his match against Juan Carlos Ferrero, trailing by 2 sets to 1, and then Balcells and Corretja secured a straight sets win in the souble to leave Australia a huge task tomorrow. It is going to be almost impossible, but if Hewitt is on form then anaything is possible.
Update coming tomorrow.
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