Davis Cup Semifinals 2014

Some juicy matches in the post-USO Tennis calendar and potential for history from all teams.

1. CZE v FRA - http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=100021088

Very interesting choices (subject to change, of course). Tsonga should do well. Bit surprised that Stepanek is not playing Singles.

R1 R. GASQUET v T. BERDYCH
R2 J. TSONGA v L. ROSOL
R3 J. BENNETEAU/G. MONFILS v R. STEPANEK/J. VESELY
R4 J. TSONGA v T. BERDYCH
R5 R. GASQUET v L. ROSOL

2. SUI v ITA - http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=100021089

Federink had their set of difficulties against KAZ. Can they do a bit better here than having to play all 5 rubbers?

R1 R. FEDERER v S. BOLELLI
R2 S. WAWRINKA v F. FOGNINI
R3 R. FEDERER/S. WAWRINKA v P. LORENZI/A. SEPPI
R4 R. FEDERER v F. FOGNINI
R5 S. WAWRINKA v S. BOLELLI

And you could add: FRA v CZE will be on clay at RG clay and SUI v ITA on indoor in Geneva (not a bad preparation for the indoor seasons too!)
World #3 and #4 on the same Davis Cup team - it's got to be one of the best line up there's been (probably USA had #1 and #2 in the 90's)

The Swiss aren't going to get a better chance of winning the DC so I reckon this is their year.

IMO it's a bizarre choice from France to play on clay. I wouldn't say Gasquet and Tsonga were particularly proficient on the surface - wouldn't a medium hard court be better? That one will be decided on the doubles, for me. Berdych should win both, Rosol should lose both, which leaves the doubles. Hell, it could all rest on how La Monf performs. He'll be up for this in front of his home crowd.

I am not sure this article is really appropriate. You have mentioned one of the big four but only in passing and the others are not mentioned, no one is arguing or insulting each other and there is no GOAT debate. Also I can't determine any underlying prejudice from you in writing the article.

It's not really in keeping with the tone of the forum and I am contacting the moderators to propose an immediate deletion. As a compromise I will withdraw my objection if you add a comment about whether or not Federer's lack of a Davis Cup vs Rafa is important in the GOAT debate.

Reckon Switzerland have their best chance of winning the DC. They should beat Italy but the final will be tougher. Will Switzerland be at home?
Difficult to call the other semi. France's home advantage should help. Bit surprised that Stepanek is not playing in the singles, or did they think he would be less suited to clay?

Gosh they are already at it in Paris with the Berdych-Gasquet match on serve early in the opening set

Later: Gasquet breaks for a 3-1 lead, first set

Wow, Gasquet's a set and a break up. I guess clay was the right choice!!

The Special Juan wrote:Wow, Gasquet's a set and a break up.  I guess clay was the right choice!!

He's now TWO sets and a break up. A famous Gasquet collapse on the cards ?

I'm not watching so I don't know what's happening but Berdych is getting DESTROYED by Gasquet. He leads 6-3 6-2 *3-2. I always thought Berdy was good on clay.

sirfredperry wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:Wow, Gasquet's a set and a break up.  I guess clay was the right choice!!

He's now TWO sets and a break up. A famous Gasquet collapse on the cards ?  

There's always one threatening to happen. I think he'll close it out in 3 though.

Gasquet wins in straight sets. Very comprehensive.

The amazing Steve Darcis is up soon to Stak up a win off Stakhovsky.

I'll go now

The Special Juan wrote:I'm not watching so I don't know what's happening but Berdych is getting DESTROYED by Gasquet.  He leads 6-3 6-2 *3-2.  I always thought Berdy was good on clay.

at this rate Kevin "I give up" Anderson will finally get a win over him. Wonder if Lendl still wants to coach him.

Federer takes the first set on a tiebreak....

He gets a 2 set cushion, Bolelli is fighting hard but not enough to break serve.

France will have a 2-0 lead over Czech Rep in the other semi final

Serving at *3-2 don't see anything stopping him today.

Stadium

Steady first match to the Swiss 7-6 6-4 6-4.. Now it's Stan/Fognini to deliver some heart pounding groundies

Fognini's serve went south in the final game of that first set...Wawrinka goes one set up.

So, I am just looking at the Davis Cup head to head between France and Switzerland. The last match was played in 2004, in Switzerland. So, in a hypothetical final between France and Swizerland, France should have home advantage this time.

Stan's serve got himself out of trouble there...two sets to love.

Not the best challenge Fognini ever made....

Henman Bill wrote:So, I am just looking at the Davis Cup head to head between France and Switzerland. The last match was played in 2004, in Switzerland. So, in a hypothetical final between France and Switzerland, France should have home advantage this time.

The home advantage may just tip it for France, except it's looking like Switzerland's year, especially as Stan has just beaten Fognini in straight sets, pretty much extinguishing Italy's faint hopes of winning the tie.

I did not realize Federer had won USO2014 and has a trophy which no one knows about.

Apparently the faux-pas has been corrected rather quickly.

IF both Swiss and France make the cut , whom would you play in the singles in the behalf of France? Tsonga, Gasquet or Tsonga Monfils or Monfils Gasquet, or Tsonga Giles Simon or Giles Simon Gasquet?

or other player like Benoit Paire , Jullian Bennetau?

It would make more sense to play Bennetau or Monfils ahead of Gasquet in singles.

Tsonga has to play. If he hits form neither Federer or Wawrinka will stop him. Simon will be taken apart by Federer so he won't play. It'll come down to Monfils or Gasquet - Monfils is far more dangerous than Gasquet but Reechard should be more consistent.

It'll come down to the matches v Stan - I expect the French to win the doubles (if Fedrinka don't play) so Stan will need to up his game.

Prediction:

Federer v Tsonga - Fed win
Stan v Tsonga - 50:50
Doubles match - Probable French win
Federer v Whoever - Fed win
Stan v Whoever - 50:50 if it's Gasquet

That's 2-1 with 2 to call.

Worth considering that the final is usually shortly after the WTF, so if one of the Swiss goes deep at every tournament until then, fatigue could be a factor. We'll see though, I bet that nobody will be counting their chickens in these matches yet after the Kaz near-shock last round.

The Swiss are struggling against Italy. No breaks of serve yet but it feels like every Swiss service game has gone to deuce.

Federer (and possibly Wawrinka) may have to win to keep SUI DC finals hopes alive.

Wawrinka/Chiudinelli were 2-1 sets and lost it.

FRA win 3-0 with Gasquet/Tsonga winning doubles rubber beating Berdych/Stepanek in four sets.

Federer should win and put the tie to bed. If he's last up it might be a bit jangly!!

Federer up a set on spate of Fognini errors.

Barrazutti has a tough job managing Fognini. He should have made Foggy watch the Cilic v Federer match as a lesson.

Fognini hands over a break like clockwork in the seventh game. One more set for the Old Man, one more to go to get to the final.

Interesting to see an ace on a second serve after being BP down, from Federer.

SUI through to finals. . The Old Man has a shot at the DC Trophy.

Well done France and Switzerland, good wins - particularly the French!

SUI play FRA, so most likely Clay. FRA need to decide if they want to have Warwrikna win and take chances with Federer, or play HC and try to win both singles rubbers.

Fognini v Wawrinka - Errors (Forced 9 v 9, Unforced 39 v 44), Winners 14 v 37.
Fognini v Federer - Errors (Forced 22 v 18, Unforced 48 v 41), Winners 26 v 36.

Unlikely that Fognini could have won either match.

Intriguing final now set up. Fed's best and probably last chance to win the DC. The Swiss can count on huge support even though they are away. As so often with the DC, the doubles will be key. You'd normally take France, at home, to win, but this could be a classic.

Incidentally, I see Cilic had to turn out for the singles for Croatia in the DC after all. Croatia were two sets to love up in the fourth match, needing only one set to win the tie. But they were beaten in five and the US champ had to perform, winning in four sets.

laverfan wrote:SUI play FRA, so most likely Clay. FRA need to decide if they want to have Warwrikna win and take chances with Federer, or play HC and try to win both singles rubbers.

I think Federer would have more than enough for Gasquet on the clay but it's set up well, isn't it? This could be the best final in a long time.

Switzerland should win from here even away. They simply have the better players on slow or fast surfaces. I think if I were France I would go for a fast hard court surface, on the grounds Stan is then slightly weaker and Tsonga at his inspired best might also have a shot against Fed. I wonder if they can find a grass court in December?

Born Slippy wrote:I wonder if they can find a grass court in December?

The only choice is playing in SUI or FRA per DC rules, IIRC. But AUS would be willing to lend a hand, if necessary.

Spain managed to get themselves relegated from the world group. That one raised a chuckle from me.

I think Swtizerland are favourites, they have the higher ranked players. Home advantage is not going to work too well because most of the players playing, especially the Swiss, are not surface specialists.

World tour finals is wide open this year with Nadal coming back from injury, Djokovic in hit and miss form, Murray may or may not be back to top gear, Federer and Warwinka with half an eye on the davis cup final and likely some new players in the field such as Cilic, Raonic or Nishikori in with a chance of qualifying.

The Special Juan wrote:Spain managed to get themselves relegated from the world group.  That one raised a chuckle from me.

I just found out too - http://www.daviscup.com/en/news/186929.aspx, but this is the third string team with Ferrer, Nadal, Verdasco, Lopez, Granollers not being there. Bellucci and Melo/Soares proved too much for ESP.

laverfan wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:Spain managed to get themselves relegated from the world group.  That one raised a chuckle from me.

I just found out too - http://www.daviscup.com/en/news/186929.aspx, but this is the third string team with Ferrer, Nadal, Verdasco, Lopez, Granollers not being there. Bellucci and Melo/Soares proved too much for ESP.

They were always going to lose the doubles because the Brazilians are really good but it's exceptionally disappointing to see a country with so many top 50 players fail to churn out even the C team. I'll let Lopez off with this one because clay isn't his thing but why Granollers didn't play the singles with Bautista I don't know.

Granollers has a (minor?) wrist injury - I think he was just a bit iffy for the tie.

If Granollers was injured then fair dos, but Verdasco should have been there then. It wasn't as if he'd had a tough US Open!!