Davis Cup World Group Playoff (IND @ NED)

Florian Buechting · Post by **Florian Buechting** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 9:06 pm

As Jay said, we can face USA, Brazil, Czech Republic and Great Britian at home, Germany and the Netherlands are short travels for me, but long and hard ones for the Indian Express, Belgium and Romania would be decided by lot - if we do not get seeded like last year.
If we get seeded, there should be the following possibilities: Great Britian (see above, maybe they even seed GBR and have Germany unseeded, you never know in the ITF...), Thailand (won Uzebekistan 4-1, tie would be at home), Slovakia(unfortunately a 3-2 win in Esch/LUX), Belarus (won Zimbabwe 4-1), Austria (Finland 3-2), Morocco (Italy 3-2), Canada (3-0 against Peru after day 2) and the winner of Ecuador vs. Venezuela. Apart from GBR and Thailand, all choices of ground would be made by lot.
I think, Tuesday will be a very interesting day telling us which teams will be seeded. According to the ITF ranking, India must be the 8th seeded team, let's see if it wil be fair this year.

Post by **jayakris** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 1:46 am

Thanks Florian.. I am working on some "objective" ways to combine the ITF's stated three criteria (ATP singles rankings, Doubles strength and Davis Cup rank), of which they really used only the ATP ranks last year from what I saw... I will post something soon.

There is plenty of argument to seed India around 8th, but other than for the fact that they know we objected loudly last year, I don't think they will seed us.

Jay

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:50 am

I hope India plays Britain or Brazil at home in the World Group. We have a good chance of beating Britain at home. Jay, if the Davis Cup draw is done in England can Britain expect an easier draw?

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:24 am

Dhruv/Jay, is there a way to edit one's own previous posts. I intended to say "Leander still plays like a top-100 singles player most of the time (and top-50 in Davis Cup)" but it came out "(especially top 50 in doubles)".
The match-ups in World Group play-offs could be quite interesting: Britain in India (especially without Rusedski) would be quite easy to handle I think (though Parmar may pick up some valuable points -- and pointers -- in the Challengers this month). Germany (Haas, Prinosil, Kuehnen) would be pretty tough, Belarus could be easy, Slovakia would be a fight, Brazil would be fascinating on grass but a possible win...many mouth-watering prospects there, and I better start making some travel plans for September...

Post by **jayakris** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 3:14 pm

PKB, you should be able to edit your earlier posting. If you have logged in, the edit button right above the post should let you edit your earlier posts. The button won't work for other posts..

I wouldn't think Belarus will be easy. Mirnyi and Voltchkov are tough customers and both are guys who can quite probably beat LP, and can play on grass, even if it is in India. And they are pretty good doubles team too, to cause some problems.

Yeah, let's wait and see. Lots of interesting possibilities.

Jay

Post by **jayakris** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 6:10 pm

I split the IND-NZL thread and started this as a new thread about the WG playoffs...

The seeding committee meets and announces the 8 seeds tomorrow (Tuesday Apr 8th) in London. The draw will be done on Wednesday there.

India just came up to #13 in the davis cup ranking ..

We are tied in points with Germany, but they ranked us at #14 for whatever reason ..

I have added some analysis of everything in the Apr 7 Note-1 and Note-2 in my TennisIndia notes --
Latest Notes

India is the 5th among the field of 16 in points, and deserves a seeding .. ITF, do the right thing!

Comments?

Jay

gvhvhg · Post by **gvhvhg** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 12:40 am

USA-beatable in india
NED- tough
BRA-beatable on grass, in india
BEL-we can beat those two short Rochus'
CZE- beatable in india
ROM-beatable
GER-tough
GBR-beatable (especially if their two stars don't play) LP would beat Henman
AUT-beatable
, BLR-tough
MAR-tough
SVK-beatable
CAN-we would beat them easily....tough in doubles
ECU-beatable in india
THA-tough

Florian Buechting · Post by **Florian Buechting** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 6:33 am

USA-beatable in india
NED- tough
BRA-beatable on grass, in india
BEL-we can beat those two short Rochus'
CZE- beatable in india
ROM-beatable
GER-tough
GBR-beatable (especially if their two stars don't play) LP would beat Henman
AUT-beatable
, BLR-tough
MAR-tough
SVK-beatable
CAN-we would beat them easily....tough in doubles
ECU-beatable in india
THA-tough

My opinion:
USA: impossible, even in India
NED: in the Netherlands - even harder than the US Team
BRA: in India on grass, okay
BEL: I am not sure if it will really be in India. Beatable in India, harder in Europe
CZE: Maybe the only team which can beat LP/MB in India. Hard, maybe possible
ROM: in Romania(my mistake), loud crowd, be surely an easier one
GER: very hard to say. Schuettler has no strong nerves, Paes might suprise him. Haas still injured, Kiefer very bad, a definite win in doubles if they don't bring their doubles specialists Prinosil/Braasch. I promise a home crowd in my home country for India! Tough, but maybe the greatest chance for a surprise win
GBR: if they play with Parmar/Bogdanovic/MacLagain(??) again, we might even be the favourites on Indian speed-lawn
AUT: Paes has a definite chance in both matches, a good one
BLR: Myrni dangerous in singles and doubles, tough in Belarus, slightly easier in India
MAR: on Marrakesh clay maybe no chance for us, though their weak spot is the doubles, could be a 3-2 for Marocco. On Indias' green a real chance
SVK: My favorite one, even in Bratislava we have to make it (and very cheap accomodation costs, great for my holiday balance *smile*)
CAN: Both, in Canada and in India, we are surely the favorite team. Nice opponent, maybe a chance for a homecrowd even in Canada if we manage to get the East-Coast-Indians to Canada.
ECU: tough one in South America. Last tie between them and Venezuela was very crazy - first match decided by a player's cramping, second one heat exhaustion. I suppose an incredible crowd in Ecuador. Beatable in India.
THA: Paradorn is surely "on fire", a tough singles player. On the other hand, Udomchoke should not be an opponent for a team thinking about World Group. Maybe all is up to a showdown between Leander and Srichapan. 50-50 chance.

Nevertheless, if we really want to get into the World Group, we must at least be possible to win against every so-often-quoted ITF nations ranking. Let's hope to be seeded - then we can be quite confident that at least we get a good chance to fulfil our dreams.

Post by **Dhruv** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:20 pm

The seeds have been announced by the Davis Cup guys and guess what India is not seeded. The seeds in alphabetic order are :

Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Romania and USA
So these are the countries India can play

Here is the article

DavisCup website wrote:The ITF has announced the list of seeded nations for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-offs Draw, which takes place at 11.00am (1000 GMT) on Wednesday 9 April at the ITF Headquarters in London.
The seeded nations for this year (in alphabetical order) are: Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Romania and USA. They will be drawn against Austria, Belarus, Canada, Ecuador, India, Morocco, Slovak Republic and Thailand.
The criteria for seeding, used by the Davis Cup Committee, includes the current ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking as well as consideration for the rankings of players likely to participate, experience on different surfaces, experience in doubles and other pertinent information.
The Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-offs will be played from 19-21 September 2003, the same weekend as the World Group Semifinals. The winning nations in the World Group Play-offs will secure places in the 2004 World Group, while the losing nations will compete in their respective Zonal Group I competitions.

Comments anyone.....

Post by **Dhruv** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:40 pm

My analysis of the chances against each opponent. The brackets indicate if it is a home or away match for India and the surface I think the match will be on (hard==> hard or carpet)

Belgium (Home,grass) probable loss(2-3)
Brazil (home, grass) win (3-2)
Czech Republic (home, grass) probable loss (2-3)
Germany (away,hard) probable loss (2-3)
Great Britain (Home,grass) probable win (3-2) depends on team though
Netherlands (Away,hard) loss (1-4)
Romania (Away, clay???) loss (2-3)
USA (Home, grass) loss (1-4)

So the main hopes are to stay away from the US and the Dutch and hoprfull draw the Brazilians or the British. Other matches should be close, but as they didn't get seeded, unfortunately, the chances of pulling off a win in this one tough. I guess though, in a way , that sort of jutifies the seedings as a win against most of these countries other than a 2-3 would classify as an upset.

gvhvhg · Post by **gvhvhg** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 4:27 pm

ITF IS DISGRACEFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS ABSOLUTLEY RIDICULOUS!ATLEAST GIVE US THE LAST SEED!!!!!!!!!!

why romania?????????? we defnitley should HAVE BEEN SEEDED OVER ROMANIA!

DHRUV, WHY DID YOU SAY WE WOULD LOOSE TO ROMANIA.....I THINK WE COULD POTENTIALY BEAT ROMANIA 5-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **Dhruv** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:32 pm

Romania has Andrei Pavel and Adrian Voniea world numbers 34 and 84 respectively. Also the games will be played in Romania and they get to choose the surface. So I highly doubt Leander and Rohan can manage to win 2 out of the 4 singles between them against these two. India will win the doubles and I think one singles match. Two singles matches, unlikely.

Florian Buechting · Post by **Florian Buechting** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 10:58 pm

Hi,

like all of you, I was surely as angry about the seedings the ATP did today. I still cannot accept why Belgium and the Brits are seeded. Daviscup is no matter of ATP ranking. Daviscup is a matter of the heart.

Look at countries like Australia defeating Sweden at home or Argentina make a devilish tennis party at home which even frightens the actualy Daviscup champion (it is surely not a real great task to frighten a German team before). Daviscup countries are countries like the Netherlands, where middle-class players are pushed over the max by the crowds in the arena! I will never forget Germany loosing in s'Hertogenbosch some years ago, this was REAL Daviscup. But instead, they credit a country like Germany, which does not just have one of the worst-managed tennis associations, but especially non-motivated players and spectators who are just thinking about the champagne at the VIP party afterwards. They credit a country like Great Britian, which just belongs to the World Group because of their immense luck. Parmar, MacLagan, Bogdanovic, Mackin - yes, these are real tennis-giants (and the squad for their last tie vs. Australia!).

I would love to quote some German words, but nobody understands them anyway (no, not the equivalent to the f-word). After an hour of pure disappointment, I change my mind completely: they don't want to have us - so we have to argue on both - the court and the stands! ITF, as you do not toss the games anyway, give us one of your beloved countries. Sent the Brits to Bangalore! You surely get them back - as a Europe/Africa Group 1 team. Let's try everything to get a perfect cheering crowd, whereever they sent us to, who ever will face us!

Or even better (I am sorry for that, you all surely want a tie on Indian grass), give us the Germans! Give us Kiefer and Schuettler! If we are really facing my home country, I promise all of you guys at the board here a cheering group making a home match for the silly Asians out of it! Five guys may be louder than 10,000, a single one can beat 3,000 - I saw it in Bastad *smile*

I think that we should not be disappointed that they don't want to have us! I think we have to take this as a motivation. How many guys are the Daviscup comittee from the ITF? Five? Ten? We are more - and louder. Let's push Lee, Hesh, Harsh, Rohan, Prakash or who ever will have the word "India" on his back in September to his absolute limit!

I have to say that I will try my best to cheer up my team in September - even if I have to travel to India for that! Let's do that for what fans are for - the goal is great - it is the World Group!

Yours,
Florian

I cannot stand not to estimate which result I expect to be "tossed" tomorrow (I did not care about home and away except at our team):

NED - IND
GBR - SLK
USA - THA
GER - AUS
BEL - BLR (to get Myrni in the world group)
ROM - MAR
BRA - CAN
CZE - ECU
Let's see how many right ones I have tomorrow

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 12:11 am

I still think that we need to have a secret agent present when the seeding committee sits down to do their dirty work every year. At least we will know who else besides Great Britain does not want India to be seeded, and which members are controlled by the bookies in UK. I bet Great Britain will get the easiest team in the draw and by some miraculous reason will get to play at home. India on the other hand will get the toughest away team that is in the field. May be it is time to rename Davis Cup as "Bookie Cup of UK".

Post by **jayakris** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 3:32 am

Wonderful stuff, Florian. It is rather sad how German players do not show the kind of commitment to Davis Cup that EVEN Becker showed (I hate that guy with a passion, but he did play some diehard Davis Cup matches). And you have written exactly my feelings about Davis Cup and how ITF has dropped the ball completely in viewing Davis Caup in its proper perspective. It's sad.

As far as the draw is concerned, it is probably not a big difference whether India is seeded or not, because we probably have a better chance for a home tie against the seeds I guess. Anyway, if we are to win a tie, it would be because LP comes up with a superlative performance, which, on his current form even in singles, seems to be much more probable than it was last year. If he is on song like he can, most players below top-30 or so can lose to him even now, especially in India. So, being unseeded probably hasn't hurt India much. But we will see how the draw turns out or if it will again look suspicious tomorrow.

On the other hand, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that Bopanna will be playing at a level a few serious notches higher in 5 months - based on recent reports from people who have been seeing him. Sort of like when Bhupathi crashed into the scene and played a big part in the win against Netherlands in India.

Jay

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