2013/06/19

Davis Cup: High “I. Q.” For USA

John-Isner_Miami-Tennis-Cup-e1354390274784

 

DAVIS CUP: HIGH “I.Q.” FOR U.S.

Isner, Querrey give Americans 2-0 lead over Brazil

 

By Junior Williams

 

(February 1, 2013) JACKSONVILLE – Straight sets victories by John Isner and Sam Querrey have given the United States a commanding 2-0 lead over Brazil in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

 

Isner — who skipped the Australian open due to a knee injury — showed signs of rust in his 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Thiago Alves, who’s ranked 141 in the world. The American committed 62 unforced errors in the nearly two-hour match, partly due to some spirited play from Alves, who at times surprised Isner with his return of serve and ability to win long rallies.

 

But in the end Isner was bailed out by his powerful serve. In the second set, Isner staved off two set points by firing aces and going on to hold at 5-5. He later overcame a mini-break in the second set tiebreak, and closed out the set with a pair of aces — he had 32 in all.

 

Isner — the top ranked American and number 16 in the world – took control of the third set by breaking Alves to go up 4-2, on the Brazilian’s unforced error past the baseline.

 

When asked whether the four-week layoff bothered him, Isner replied, “It wasn’t exactly pretty, but I knew that may be the case going into this match today because I’m real short on match practice, real short on practice in general. But these are the type of matches for me going forward that I need to get under my belt. But all in all I’m very happy with the outcome and glad I was able to contribute today.”

 

In the first match, Sam Querrey defeated Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The American — whose world ranking is 20 — served 15 aces and won 96 percent of his first serve points. Early in the match, Querrey had trouble returning the Belucci’s kick serves, but the Brazilian double faulted midway through the first set to send Querrey up a break. Querrey capitalized by clinching the set as Bellucci returned his serve into the net.

 

“I feel like I played great,” said Querrey.  I was serving well, and that just makes things so much easier. I could play a little freer on his service games.I was a little nervous at the beginning.Once I got that first break, I felt like I got my feet settled and I was on a roll.

 

After that, it was all Querrey, who broke Bellucci in the first game in each of the remaining sets en route to his first Davis Cup singles victory

 

 

The number 36-ranked Bellucci said “It was not easy to play today. The court was very fast. (Querrey)  was serving very strong, very close from the lines. I didn’t play my best tennis, so I’m a little bit disappointing.

 

Jacksonvillearena

The turnout for today’s matches was low, but Querrey still gave the home crowd a thumbs up.

 

“Everyone that was there did a great job. They got surprisingly loud there at the end for an arena that wasn’t full.You know, it’s still good for who was there.Hopefully tomorrow we can get more. I know sometimes it’s a little tougher on Friday with people working. Hopefully tomorrow and Sunday we can get more.”

 

Saturday, the United States will look to clinch the tie by going with Bob and Mike Bryan, who are fresh from winning the Australian Open men’s doubles championship — a record-setting 13th major title. The twins will take on top 20 doubles players Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares.”

 

A U.S. victory would send the Americans to the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinals, where they would likely host Serbia. World number one Novak Djokovic and teammate Viktor Troicki won their matches against Belgium to take a 2-0 lead.

 

Junior Williams is a long-time journalist and tennis fan. At a moment’s notice he can give you a list of all the Davis Cup match-ups that would give the US home ties. He is in Jacksonville, Florida covering the Davis Cup first round World Group tie between the United States and Brazil for Tennis Panorama News.

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Jacksonville to Host USA-Brazil Davis Cup Tie in February 2013

(October 16, 2012) The Florida Times-Union reported on Monday night that Jacksonville, Florida has been selected to host the first round Davis Cup tie between the USA and Brazil February 1-3, 2013.

From the paper’s website:

Jacksonville will be announced Tuesday as the host city for an opening-round Davis Cup match between the United States and Brazil on Feb. 1-3, 2013.

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena will serve as the venue for two singles matches the first day and a doubles match the following day.

Reverse singles matches, if needed to determine the winner in the best-of-5 match, would take place on the third day.

11:30am Update:

Official Announcement from the USTA:

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., October 16, 2012 – The USTA and U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier announced today that Jacksonville, Fla. has been selected as the site for the 2013 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas first-round match between the United States and Brazil, February 1-3. The matches will be played at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which will have an expected capacity of approximately 13,000.

 

The event is being organized, staged and promoted by the USTA. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in early December. For more information, fans can call the U.S. Davis Cup hotline at (888) 484-8782 or visit www.usta.com/daviscup.

 

“There is nothing like playing Davis Cup in your home country and Jacksonville will be a great venue when we host Brazil next year,” said Courier who led the United States to the semifinals this year in his second season as U.S. Davis Cup Captain. “We were very happy to draw a home match. This could be a great opportunity for players like John (Isner), Sam (Querrey) and Ryan (Harrison) to experience a home court advantage for the first time in their Davis Cup careers.”

This will be just the second home match as U.S. Davis Cup Captain for Florida native Courier. The U.S. played all three of its matches on the road this year posting wins over Roger Federer’s Swiss team and France before losing to Spain in the semifinals.

 

The matchup with Brazil will be the first home tie for the U.S. since the 2011 quarterfinals in Austin, Texas, and just the third home tie for the U.S. since 2009. In that time, the U.S. team has played seven road matches–all on clay.

 

The best-of-five match series begins Friday, Feb. 1, with two singles matches, featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match, and the final day of play on Sunday includes two “reverse singles” matches, where the No. 1 players square off followed by the No. 2 players going head-to-head. All matches are best-of-five sets until one country wins three matches.

 

“Hosting the Davis Cup competition represents a great opportunity for our city to receive the global attention it deserves,” said Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. “The word is getting out: Jacksonville is a premier city for major sporting events. Our selection emerged from a highly-competitive process and it goes to show that we have the staff, facilities and experience to create a marquee experience to delight the thousands of fans headed our way.”

 

“The Davis Cup is one of the top tennis events in the world and we’re very proud to be hosting the first round in Jacksonville,” said Alan Verlander, executive director of sports & entertainment for the City of Jacksonville. “We have a tremendous tennis community that is eager to engage in a first-class tennis event at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.”

 

This match will mark the fifth meeting between the U.S. and Brazil in Davis Cup. The U.S. leads the overall series 3-1 with its last victory against Brazil coming in the 1997 first round in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil when Courier and MaliVai Washington led the U.S. to a 4-1 win.

 

The U.S. is 109-16 all-time in Davis Cup ties played at home and undefeated in Florida (6-0). This will be the seventh Davis Cup tie played in the state of Florida and first since the U.S. defeated Sweden, 4-1, in the 2004 quarterfinal at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

 

Tennis Channel will present live daily coverage of the U.S. vs. Brazil Davis Cup match.

 

The site selection is subject to final approval by the International Tennis Federation.

 

The winner of the United States and Brazil will face either Serbia or Belgium in the quarterfinals, April 5-7. Should the U.S. advance, they would host the quarterfinal match.

 

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition with 122 nations competing this year. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The United States holds a 212-66 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989.

 

For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com.

 

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Davis Cup: Looking Back at US vs France in 2002 at Roland Garros

Tennis Panorama News will be covering the Davis Cup quarterfinal tie this weekend between the United States and France being held at the Monte Carlo Country Club. We’re taking a look back at  past ties between the two countries.

 

2002 US Davis Cup Team (L-R Todd Martin, James Blake, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick and Captain Patrick McEnroe)

By Guillaume Willecoq

 

2002, Davis Cup semifinals in Roland-Garros  (September 20-22) : France d. USA 3/2.

The French Tennis Federation pays tribute to the Musketeers hosting the tie in Roland-Garros. In the beginning, the French stadium was built in 1928 to receive the United States after the Musketeers won their first Davis Cup in Philadelphia. Seventy-five years later, France and USA face each other again at Roland-Garros.

 

The players:

France: The team built by Guy Forget is the current champion, and the captain brings the best line up possible: Sébastien Grosjean, 9th, as the leader, followed by Arnaud Clément, 42nd. The doubles team is a young Michaël Llodra with the almost veteran Fabrice Santoro. On clay, French players are the favorites of this tie.

 

USA: Since his arrival at the head of the US team, in 2000, Patrick McEnroe makes the choice of bringing new blood to the team. For this tie against France, he lines up three young guns: Andy Roddick (11th), James Blake (27th) and Mardy Fish (88th). The last guy is Todd Martin (still 51th), veteran of the glorious 90’s for the US tennis. The view from France – Roddick and Blake are a scary duo, with loads of potential! In seven matches, Roddick is still undefeated in Davis Cup.…

 

The tie :

Clément d. Roddick 4/6 7/6 7/6 6/1

Grosjean d. Blake 6/4 6/1 6/7 7/5

Blake - Martin d. Santoro – Llodra 2/6 7/6 2/6 6/4 6/4

Grosjean b. Roddick 6/4 3/6 6/3 6/4

Blake b. Clément 6/4 6/3

 

The quotes :

Sébastien Grosjean : “Before, I was struggling to give my best in Davis cup. I wanted to do too well for all the team and I didn”t play my best tennis. This time, I think this tie between France and USA was my best performance. I tried to play for myself on court, and only after I shared my joy with the rest of the team. It helps me to focus on myself on the court.”

Andy Roddick: “It hurts me. I’ve lived so many things not very funny this week, new sensations for me, and I will have to learn from it. Now, I think I will be better prepared to play difficult matches in Davis Cup… But the atmosphere here was absolutely fantastic. I hope some day I will live that with the US team !”

Arnaud Clément: “There is nothing more exciting than playing this match against Andy. I knew that if could run well, I would neutralize him on the baseline, and eventually drive him nuts !”

James Blake: ”It”s the biggest deception of my life. Really, losing a match in Davis Cup breaks your heart, particularly because I had my chances. I never felt so bad, but now I’m going home and try to forget. I look forward to do something well in this team in the future. It’s when I lose like this that I really want to go back to work harder. I’m going to do the gym.…It will look less painful than before.” 

Fabrice Santoro: “I would say that those kind of matches are the ones I enjoy the most. I really had fun during this doubles, even if we lost. You enter the Central of Roland-Garros, your team leads 2/0, the Central is packed from the start… There is something in the air!”

Michaël Llodra : “This loss against the Americans in doubles really hurt me a lot. The press said it was my fault if we lost, that maybe I shouldn’t have play, that I lacked experience. I took everything in the face and it took me sometime to get over it. But I bounced back… Since 2003, I was never out the team. It”s Davis Cup! There is a lot of pressure. It has made me stronger. “

 

Todd Martin – The End: Does he know? Probably. This France/USA tie is the last selection of the long career of Todd Martin. The American, who won the Davis Cup in 1995, is here to bring his experience for his young fellows. I did the perfect job during the doubles, with James Blake. The veteran made a strong impression about his knowledge and tennis culture in his news conferences, citing Decugis, Lacoste and Cochet as legends of the French tennis.

 

After that :

In December, in Bercy, the French will lose the final against the Russians. The end of a great period for that team: Guy Forget gets his first critics about the selection of young Paul-Henri Mathieu for the last rubber; the French captain splits with Fabrice Santoro a few months later; and, little by little, Escudé, Grosjean and Clément step down from the team during the following campaigns, to let young Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and then Jo-Wilfried Tsonga take over. Three time finalist in four years between 1999 and 2002, it will take 8 years for the French team to reach another final.

On the other hand, this tie starts a new chapter for the US team. Roddick and Blake take the lead of the group, joined by Bob and Mike Bryans in 2003. They will be the hard core team for almost ten years, occasionally joined by Mardy Fish. They will reach the final in 2004, and most of all win the title in 2007.

Tennis Panorama News is covering the Davis Cup between the United States and France this week taking place at the Monte Carlo Country Club from April 6-8.  Look out for updates here and on twitter @TennisNewsTPN.

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Monte Carlo Country Club to Host US – France Davis Cup Tie April 6-8

Photo from DavisCup.com

The ITF has announced the venue for the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal tie between the United States and France will take place in Monte Carlo the weekend of April 6-8.

France will host USA at the Monte Carlo Country Club located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France on outdoor clay. It is the home of the Monte Carlo Masters event which will be played two weeks after the tie.

The US leads the Davis Cup series overall 8-7 with the US only winning once in France – in 1982 in Grenoble when they were victorious 4-1.

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Bryan, Fish win doubles over Switzerland’s Federer, Wawrinka to Send USA to Davis Cup Quarterfinals

DAVIS CUP: U.S. HEADS TO QUARTERFINALS
Bryan, Fish win doubles over Switzerland’s Federer, Wawrinka

By Junior Williams

FRIBOURG, Switzerland — The shocker is complete.

The United States is moving on to the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinals after Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish defeated Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in doubles competition 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. The win gives the U.S. an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Swiss, with two dead rubbers on tap for Sunday.

The home crowd of 7000 was pumped up from the start, hoping that the 2008 Olympic gold medalists would keep Switzerland’s hopes alive.
The Swiss got off to a fast start by breaking the U.S. in the first game, which included two double faults by Fish. The home team went on to win the first set as Federer’s strong service game and Wawrinka’s lethal backhand led the way.

It was a different story in the second set. The U.S. capitalized with a break of their own. This time it was Wawrinka with two double faults in a game, and the U.S. held on to knot the mach at a set apiece, thanks to Fish’s strong net play and Bryan’s serves keeping the Swiss of balance.

The U.S. capped the third set with a Mike Bryan winner up the middle, breaking Federer for the first time in the match, and making the Swiss faithful uneasy.

But the crowd wasn’t giving up, and in the fourth set was louder than at any time during the match, the fans shouting their trademark chant “Hop Suisse” (Let’s go Switzerland). But the U.S. broke the Swiss to go up 3-1, as an unfriendly net cord for Federer resulted in a Bryan winner. At 4-2 Federer saved two break points and the Swiss faithful erupted, hoping for a momentum shift. It was not to be.

The last two points of the match were indicative of a lost weekend for Switzerland. Federer whiffed on a ball resulting in match point, after which Wawrinka netted a deep Bryan serve to clinch the victory for the U.S.

The stunned crowd left the arena, buzzing about how Federer wasn’t at his best, but giving the U.S. credit nonetheless. The question is whether Federer will play for Switzerland in the Davis Cup World Group playoff in September. A loss would relegate the Swiss to the second tier of Davis Cup.

As for the Americans, they are waiting to find out their destination for the quarterfinals. It’ll either be a trip to France, or a hike north of the border to Canada. But first, there’s another day of tennis to be played. The U.S. will likely field 19-year old Ryan Harrison in one of the dead rubbers.

DROP SHOTS:

At the end of the match, after the on-court interviews were complete and much of the crowd had left the arena, Mardy Fish, John Isner and Mike Bryan climbed up into the stands to high-five the NetHeads, the cheering squad that follows the U.S. Davis Cup Team around the world.

The Americans’ last three victories have been on clay: Colombia in September 2010, Chile in March 2011, and now, Switzerland. Their last loss was on the U.S.’ favorite surface, a hard court at a quarterfinal home tie in Austin, Texas last year against David Ferrer and his friends from Spain.

Junior Williams is a long-time journalist and tennis fan. At a moment’s notice he can give you a list of all the Davis Cup match-ups that would give the US home ties. He is in Fribourg, Switzerland covering the Davis Cup first round World Group tie between the US and Switzerland for Tennis Panorama News.

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Notes and Quotes from Day 1 of Davis Cup – US versus Switzerland

FRIBOURG, Switzerland – The United States took a 2-0 lead over Switzerland  on Friday in its 2012 Davis Cup World Group first round match at the Forum Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland.  John Isner stunned Roger Federer in four sets to earn his first win in a live Davis Cup singles match after Mardy Fish opened the tie with a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 victory over Stan Wawrinka.

Federer on Isner: I thought he played great. He played it tough and served great when he had to. I just missed a couple more opportunities than he did and that’s what cost me the match.

It’s been a difficult day for us. We still have a chance to go through. I’m going to enjoy the challenge.

Isner on the win: It feels good.  Certainly it’s a huge win for me.  It’s the biggest win of my career thus far.  So very proud of it.

We’re up 2-0, which is a great start.  That was our goal coming into today, and we accomplished it.  Mardy put forth a great effort in the first match.  Obviously that was so gutsy.  What it did, it took a lot of pressure off of me, I felt.  Mardy getting that win was obviously huge, and it was huge for me as well.

I was up a break, so I had absolutely nothing to lose.  Just went out and went for my shots, and they found the court.  That’s really the blueprint for how I need to play and how I need to return for all my matches, no matter who I’m playing.

Courier on coaching two very emotional matches: I guess that’s hiding what’s going on inside.  It’s like a washing machine when you’re out there.  You’re riding the ups and the downs with our players.

But I have two different players out there emotionally.  John needs more encouragement, likes more encouragement.  Mardy is a little bit more kind of self‑sufficient at the moment.

It’s my goal to get John to be very self‑sufficient out there, as well.  He doesn’t need me to remind him of this stuff.  He’s going to figure out very quickly that this is a great way for him to play.

But it’s fun.  It’s fun to be out there and try to help these guys and also know when to shut the fuck up and stay out of the way.  That’s the biggest trick.  Still learning that one.

Courier on Fish: Mardy played on guts out there.  He and Stan were both struggling.  It wasn’t pretty tennis.  It’s all about being better than the other guy.  Mardy has lost a few tight matches like that.  He stepped up today and won a tight match.  That’s huge for him and that’s huge for us as a team.

Fish on one of his biggest comebacks: It’s certainly up there.  There’s no doubt about it.  I think, you know, (Davis Cup at) Colombia jumps out me; obviously the Olympics jump out at me.  As far as the Davis Cup and the team aspect of it, yeah, this is certainly right up there with them.

Isner on court conditions :  (The balls were) Not necessarily flying, but they were pretty quick and the ball stayed firm.  The balls don’t fluff up too much here.  So even in the eighth, ninth game of a new set of balls, they’re still, in my opinion, pretty quick.  That played to my advantage.  I think it plays to our team’s advantage a little bit there.

Yeah, I was happy with the conditions out there.  I don’t mind playing on clay.  It gives me more time, which sometimes is what I need.  Clay isn’t really such a bad surface for me.

Junior Williams is a long-time journalist and tennis fan. At a moment’s notice he can give you a list of all the Davis Cup match-ups that would give the US home ties. He is in Fribourg, Switzerland covering the Davis Cup first round World Group tie between the US and Switzerland for Tennis Panorama News.

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Davis Cup Stunner in Switzerland – Isner upsets Federer, Fish outlasts Wawrinka to put U.S. up 2-0

DAVIS CUP STUNNER IN SWITZERLAND
Isner upsets Federer, Fish outlasts Wawrinka to put U.S. up 2-0

By Junior Williams

FRIBOURG, Switzerland — This wasn’t supposed to happen.

A home crowd left the Forum Fribourg stunned after the United States took a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in their first round Davis Cup World Group clash, as John Isner shocked Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and Mardy Fish defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 in a 4 hour 26 minute showdown.

Switzerland’s game plan was set: Host the tie on clay — a surface that’s usually Kryptonite to the Americans — and throw 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer into the mix. But the Americans had other ideas.

At first it looked as if Federer was on track to dispatch Isner quickly. The Swiss was working his usual magic with forehand winners and strong service games resulting in short points. It took Federer only 29 minutes to win the first set. But Isner evened things up in the second set, thanks to his biggest weapon — his serve.

Isner got off to a fast start in the third set tiebreak, jumping to a 3-0 lead, but Federer broke back in with a forehand winner to make it 4-3 USA, putting the Swiss back on serve. But Isner recovered his mini-break as a Federer shot into the net put the American up 5-4. The former Georgia Bulldog went on to serve out the set, silencing the Swiss faithful.

Federer had an opportunity with the fourth set tied at 2-2 and a triple break point, but Isner withstood the challenge and held to go up 3-2. He never lost another game in the match as he mixed up his serves from power to slice, and hit groundstrokes resulting in powerful forehand winners. Federer looked as stunned as the crowd, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening, He had lots of company.

In his post match on-court interview, Isner — the first to beat Federer in Davis Cup singles since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 — said it was the biggest win of his career. Who can argue with that?

“We’re up 2-0, which is a great start,” Isner said in his post-match news conference.  “That was our goal coming into today, and we accomplished it.  Mardy put forth a great effort in the first match.  Obviously that was so gutsy.  What it did, it took a lot of pressure off of me, I felt.  Mardy getting that win was obviously huge, and it was huge for me as well.”

For the Americans, Isner’s victory was the cherry on top. According to conventional wisdom, Fish’s match against Wawrinka was a must win for the U.S., assuming a Federer win in the second match. But Fish pulled out the victory despite an erratic service game including eight double faults. He saved five break points to go up 5-3 in the fifth set, but failed to serve out the match up 5-4, as Wawrinka’s masterful backhand shots helped even things up at 5-5.

Much to the dismay of the crowd, Fish broke the Swiss to go up 8-7, and capped the victory with a winner at net.

In terms of victories Fish said: “It’s certainly up there.  There’s no doubt about it.  I think, you know, (Davis Cup at) Colombia jumps out me; obviously the Olympics jump out at me.  As far as the Davis Cup and the team aspect of it, yeah, this is certainly right up there with them.”

The Americans can clinch the tie Saturday with a doubles victory. The U.S. is scheduled to send out Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison, as Mike’s brother Bob didn’t make the trip since he’s a new father. But the watch is on to see if U.S. captain Jim Courier swaps out Harrison for either Fish or Isner.

No matter who Courier picks, the U.S. will have its hands full, likely facing the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal doubles team of Federer and Wawrinka.

Junior Williams is a long-time journalist and tennis fan. At a moment’s notice he can give you a list of all the Davis Cup match-ups that would give the US home ties. He is in Fribourg, Switzerland covering the Davis Cup first round World Group tie between the US and Switzerland for Tennis Panorama News.

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Davis Cup – USA Versus Switzerland To Air on Tennis Channel

 

Tennis Channel will air live daily coverage of the USA -Switzerland the first round World Group Davis Cup tie. Friday’s singles matches  which feature Mardy Fish versus Stanislas Wawrinka followed by John Isner against Roger Federer will air live at 7 a.m. ET.

Coverage from Forum Fribourg in Switzerland is as follows (all time ET):

Friday, Feb. 10:

7 a.m. – Live Singles A: Mardy Fish (U.S. No. 1) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI No. 2)

10 a.m. – Live Singles B: John Isner (U.S. No. 2) vs. Roger Federer (SUI No. 1)

{8:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles A}

{11:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles B}

 

Saturday, Feb. 11:

8:30 a.m. – Live Doubles: * Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison (USA) vs. Federer/Wawrinka (SUI)

{8:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

{11:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

 

Sunday, Feb. 12:

6 a.m. – Live   Singles C: Fish (U.S.) vs. Federer (SUI)

9 a.m. – Live Singles D: Isner (U.S.) vs. Wawrinka (SUI)

{8:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles C

{11:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles D

*Team captains may substitute the doubles team up to one hour before the match.

 

Davis Cup Team Comparison:

United States vs. SWITZERLAND

United States

Davis Cup Comparison

Switzerland

1900

First year played

1923

97

Years played

82

275 (210-66)

Ties played

152 (70-82)

31 (57-24)

Years in World Group

(since 1981; including 2011)

21 (9-20)

32-time Champion

(32-29 in finals)

Best Finish

Runner-up (to the U.S.) in 1992

 

U.S. vs. Switzerland Head-to-Head Player Breakdown

 

 

UNITED STATES

Player

Singles
Ranking

Doubles
Ranking

SINGLES

2011/2012

  

CAREER

TITLES

(2011)

Mardy Fish

No. 8

No. 118

43-25/1-1

276-200

6 (1)

John Isner

No. 17

No. 35

36-22/2-2

122-89

3 (2)

Ryan Harrison

No. 95

No. 171

14-19/1-3

20-32

0 (0)

Mike Bryan

—

No. 1

DOUBLES

60-16/9-1

740-240

78 (8-1 in ‘12)

 

 

SWITZERLAND

Player

 Singles
Ranking		 Doubles
Ranking

SINGLES

2011/2012

  

CAREER

 TITLES

(2011)

Roger Federer

No. 3

No. 129

64-12/7-1

814-187

70 (4)

Stanislas Wawrinka

No. 28

No. 91

35-20/3-2

215-157

3 (1)

Marco Chiudinelli

Michael Lammer

No. 190

No. 251

No. 655

No. 619

3-4/0-1

1-2/0-0

41-67

6-20

    0 (0)

 0 (0)

 

 

*all singles records and rankings are current as of Feb. 6

(Jan. 30th rankings used for nominations)

SINGLES A: MARDY FISH vs. STANISLAS WAWRINKA

MARDY FISH (USA)

 

 STANISLAS WAWRINKA (SUI)

8

World Ranking

 28

30 (12/9/81)

Age

 26 (3/28/85)

Edina, Minn.

Birthplace

 Lausanne, Switzerland

Los Angeles

Residence

 St. Barthelemy, Switzerland

6’ 2″

Height

 6’ 0”

180 lbs.

Weight

 174 lbs.

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Plays

 Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

2000

Turned Pro

 2002

276-100 (43-25/1-1)

Singles Record

Career (2011/2012)

  215-157 (35-20/3-2)

 

 

Head to Head

 

CAREER HEAD-TO-HEAD: FISH vs. WAWRINKA (Fish leads, 2-0)

Year Event Level Surface Round Winner Score
2011 Montreal ATP Tour Hard Quarterfinals Fish 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-0
2007 New Haven ATP Tour Hard Quarterfinals Fish 6-3, 6-3

 

 

 

SINGLES B: JOHN ISNER vs. ROGER FEDERER

 

JOHN ISNER (USA)

 

 ROGER FEDERER (SUI)

17

World Ranking

 3

26 (4/26/85)

Age

 30 (8/8/81)

Greensboro, N.C.

Birthplace

 Basel, Switzerland

Tampa, Fla.

Residence

 Bottmingen, Switzerland

6’ 9″

Height

 6’ 1”

245 lbs.

Weight

 187 lbs.

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Plays

 Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

2007

Turned Pro

 1998

122-89 (36-22/2-2)

Singles Record

Career (2011-12)

814-187 (64-12/7-1)

 

Head to Head


CAREER HEAD-TO-HEAD: ISNER vs. FEDERER (Federer leads, 2-0)

Year Event Level Surface Round Winner Score
2010 Shanghai ATP Tour Hard Second Round Federer 6-3, 6-4
2007 US Open Grand Slam Hard Third Round Federer 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

SINGLES C: MARDY FISH vs. ROGER FEDERER

 

MARDY FISH (USA)

 

 ROGER FEDERER (SUI)

8

World Ranking

 3

30 (12/9/81)

Age

 30 (8/8/81)

Edina, Minn.

Birthplace

 Basel, Switzerland

Los Angeles

Residence

 Bottmingen, Switzerland

6’ 2″

Height

 6’ 1”

180 lbs.

Weight

 187 lbs.

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Plays

 Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

2000

Turned Pro

 1998

276-100 (43-25/1-1)

Singles Record

Career (2011/2012)

  814-187 (64-12/7-1)

 

 

CAREER HEAD-TO-HEAD: FISH vs. FEDERER (FEDERER leads, 7-1)

Year Event Level Surface Round Winner Score
2011 ATP World Tour Finals ATP Tour Hard Round Robin Federer 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
2010 Cincinnati ATP Tour Hard Final Federer 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 6-4
2008 Indian Wells ATP Tour Hard Semifinals Fish 6-3, 6-2
2005 Indian Wells ATP Tour Hard Second Round Federer 6-3, 6-3
2004 Halle ATP Tour Grass Final Federer 6-0, 6-3
2004 Indian Wells ATP Tour Hard Fourth Round Federer 6-4, 6-1
2003 Madrid ATP Tour Hard Third Round Federer 6-3, 7-6(4)
2003 Wimbledon Grand Slam Grass Third Round Federer 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

 

 

 

JOHN ISNER (USA)

 

 STANISLAS WAWRINKA (SUI)

17

World Ranking

 28

26 (4/26/85)

Age

 26 (3/28/85)

Greensboro, N.C.

Birthplace

 Lausanne, Switzerland

Tampa, Fla.

Resides

 St. Barthelemy, Switzerland

6’ 9″

Height

 6’ 0”

245 lbs.

Weight

 174 lbs.

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Plays

 Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

2007

Turned Pro

 2002

122-89 (36-22/2-2)

Singles Record

Career (2011/2012)

 

CAREER HEAD-TO-HEAD: ISNER vs. WAWRINKA (Isner leads, 2-1)

Year Event Level Surface Round Winner Score
2011 Paris ATP Tour Hard First Round Isner 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(5)
2010 Belgrade ATP Tour Clay Semifinals Isner 7-5, 7-5
2009 Tokyo ATP Tour Hard First Round Wawrinka 6-4, 6-4

 

 

Davis Cup Career RECORDS (thru 2011)

 

U.S. DAVIS CUP TEAM

 

 

Player

Ties

Played

Singles

Record

Doubles

Record

Overall
Record

Mardy Fish

10

6-7

3-1

9-8

John Isner

3

1-3

2-0

3-3

Ryan Harrison

1

—

—

—

Mike Bryan

21

0-1

19-2

19-3

 

SWISS DAVIS CUP TEAM

 

 

Player

Ties

Played

Singles

Record

Doubles

Record

Overall
Record

Roger Federer

20

30-6

11-6

41-12

Stanislas Wawrinka

15

14-10

2-7

16-17

Marco Chiudinelli

8

5-7

0-2

5-9

Michael Lammer

4

0-4

1-0

1-4

 

PLAYING ON CLAY COURTS*

 

The United States has played 86 Davis Cup ties on clay (73 outdoors, 13 indoors), and has a record of 61-25, posting a better winning percentage (.709) than Switzerland, which is 22-26 (.458) in 48 ties on clay.

 

 

UNITED STATES

RECORD ON
CLAY COURTS

 

SWITZERLAND

86

Ties played

48

61-25

Record

22-26

2011 World Group First Round

d. Chile, 4-1, in Santiago, Chile

Last Time

 

2010 World Group First Round

lost to Spain, 4-1, in Logrono, Spain

2 wins

Current Streak

1 loss

*All-time Davis Cup database records for surface are incomplete.

 

 

 

2011 DAVIS CUP RESULTS

 

United States

World Group First Round:  def. Chile in Santiago, Chile (outdoor clay)                                       4-1

World Group Quarterfinal   lost to Spain in Austin, Texas (indoor hard)                                      1-3

 

Switzerland          

Group 1, Europe/Africa QF:                def. Portugal in Bern, Switzerland (indoor hard)                               5-0

World Group Playoff:                           def. Australia in Sydney, Australia (outdoor grass)                           3-2

               

2011 Davis Cup Individual Records

United States

Position

Switzerland

Andy Roddick (2-0), Mardy Fish (0-2)

No. 1 singles

 Roger Federer (3-0)

Substitute No. 1

 Marco Chiudinelli (1-0)

John Isner (1-1), Andy Roddick (0-1)

No. 2 singles

 Stanislas Wawrinka (4-0)

Bob Bryan (1-0), Mike Bryan (1-0)

Doubles

 Roger Federer (1-1), Stanislas Wawrinka (1-1)

 

 

 

UNITED
STATES

RECORD IN
WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND (since 1981)

 

SWITZERLAND

23-7

OVERALL

6-14

12-1

Home

3-8

11-6

Away

3-6

BY SURFACE

14-2

Hard

1-4

5-3

Clay

1-5

3-1

Indoor Carpet

4-4

1-1

Grass

0-1

 

RECORD IN

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND

HOME-AWAY BREAKDOWN BY SURFACE

United States

 

SWITZERLAND

Home

Away

Surface

  Home

Away

11-1

3-1

Hard

1-2

0-2

—

5-3

Clay

0-3

1-2

1-0

2-1

Carpet

2-3

2-1

—

1-1

Grass

—

0-1

12-1

10-6

  OVERALL

3-8

3-6

 


 

HEAD-TO-HEAD: UNITED STATES vs. SWITZERLAND

 

THE SERIES IS 2-1 IN FAVOR OF THE U.S.: This will be the fourth time that the United States and Switzerland have met in Davis Cup competition.  It will be the first meeting between the two countries since a first round tie in March 2009 in Birmingham, Ala., which the U.S. won 4-1. Switzerland beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2001 first round in Basel, the last time the two countries met in Switzerland.

 

Year Score Round Location Surface
2012 TBD World Group First Round Fribourg, Switzerland Indoor Clay
2009 USA, 4-1 World Group First Round Birmingham, AL Indoor Hard
2001 SUI, 3-2 World Group First Round Basel, Switzerland Indoor Hard
1992 USA, 3-1 World Group Final Fort Worth, TX Indoor Hard

 

U.S. vs. SWITZERLAND RECORD

HOME-AWAY BREAKDOWN BY SURFACE

United States

 

SWITZERLAND

Home

Neutral

Surface

Home

Neutral

2-0

—

Hard

1-0

—

—

—

Clay

—

—

—

Indoor Carpet

—

—

—

—

Grass

—

—

2-0

—

OVERALL

1-0

—

 

The 1992 matchup between the U.S. and Switzerland was the only time the Swiss had played in the Davis Cup final.  The Swiss faced the overpowering U.S. team of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, and Pete Sampras with the U.S. taking the match 3-1. The United States won one more Davis Cup title three years later and then faced a drought for twelve years until the team won the trophy in 2007 against Russia.

 

The only meeting between the two nations played in Switzerland was played in the 2001 World Group first round, played on indoor hard court in Basel, Switzerland.  Roger Federer accounted for all three points in singles and doubles play to clinch a 3-2 victory over the U.S.  Andy Roddick made his Davis Cup debut in the match, defeating George Bastl in a dead rubber.

 

The last meeting between the two nations was played on an indoor hard court in Birmingham, Ala., in the 2009 World Group first round.  After Stanislas Wawrinka beat James Blake to open the tie, Andy Roddick sandwiched two singles victories around a doubles victory by Bob and Mike Bryan to clinch the tie for the U.S.

 

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Tickets For U.S. Versus Spain Davis Cup Tie Go on Sale April 8th

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 4, 2011 – The USTA announced today that tickets for the 2011 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Quarterfinal between the United States and Spain to be played at the Frank Erwin Center on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas, July 8-10, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 8, at 10 a.m. CDT. An exclusive pre-sale for USTA members begins on Tuesday, April 5, at 10 a.m. CDT and ends on Wednesday, April 6 (or while supplies last).

 

Tickets are sold as a three-day series with prices ranging from $90 to $500.  Tickets can be purchased by calling (888) 484-8782 (USTA) or online by visiting texasboxoffice.com.

 

The competition is expected to include Davis Cup stalwart Andy Roddick, who currently resides in Austin and is second all-time in U.S. Davis Cup singles victories with 33.  World No. 1 and nine-time Grand Slam singles champion Rafael Nadal is expected to compete for Spain. This will be the first home tie for U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier, who is in his first year at the helm.  This is the first home tie for the U.S. Davis Cup team since the 2009 first round in Birmingham, Ala.  Since then, the U.S. has played in four consecutive away ties.

 

The best-of-five match series begins Friday, July 8, with two singles matches, featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player.  Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match.  The final day of play on Sunday will feature two “reverse singles” matches, when the No. 1 players square off followed by the No. 2 players meeting each other in the final match. All matches are best-of-five sets until one nation clinches the tie. A revised schedule for Sunday may take place if a team clinches in the third or fourth match.

 

This will be the fifth Davis Cup tie played in Texas and first since the U.S. defeated Spain, 3-1, in the 2002 quarterfinal at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston. The U.S. is 4-0 in Texas, including the 1992 Davis Cup Final in Ft. Worth when arguably the best U.S. Davis Cup team ever (Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and the doubles team of John McEnroe and Pete Sampras) defeated Switzerland 3-1. A 10-year-old Andy Roddick attended that match as a fan with his family.

 

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition with 125 nations competing this year.  The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The United States holds a 210-64 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com.

 

Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

 

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game.  A not-for-profit organization with 750,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game.  It owns and operates the US Open, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open.  In addition, it owns the 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games.  USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs.  For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.

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Fed Cup:U.S. vs. Belgium – Notes and Quotes and Day 1 Preview

Kim Clijsters and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Getty Images)

United States vs. Belgium

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2011 World Group Quarterfinal

Sportpaleis * Antwerp, Belgium * February 5-6

The United States’ quest to reach the Fed Cup final for the third straight year begins at the 2011 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinal at Belgium. Play begins Saturday at 1:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m. ET) on an indoor hard court at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium. This is the seventh meeting between these two nations in Fed Cup, with the U.S. owning a 5-1 advantage. Belgium’s only victory came at the 2006 World Group Semifinal in Ostend, Belgium, which is also the only meeting between these two nations contested in Belgium.

The U.S. has won the Fed Cup a record 17 times and is seeking its first title since 2000. Belgium’s sole Fed Cup title came in 2001. The U.S. reached its second consecutive final last year, where they lost to Italy in San Diego and also faced Italy in the 2009 final in Italy. The U.S. has only lost a first round tie twice (1997 in the Netherlands and 2002 in Raleigh, N.C. versus Austria) and both occurrences came in the team’s first match after winning the title (the U.S. did not compete in the 2001 semifinals after winning the title in 2000), meaning the U.S. Fed Cup has never lost two consecutive ties in the history of the competition.

This is Belgium’ s first appearance in World Group I since a 5-0 loss to the U.S. in the 2007 first round in Delray Beach, Fla. The hosts have won 10 of its last 12 home ties. The U.S. is a modest 7-8 in away matches since Fed Cup adopted the home-away format in 1995, but has only lost once on the road in the first round in five matches.

ORDER OF PLAY

The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country’s No. 1 singles player against the No. 2 player from the opposing country. The exact order of play (which country’s No. 1 plays first) was determined at the Draw Ceremony on Friday. The second day of competition begins on Sunday with the “reverse singles,” starting with each country’s No. 1 player squaring off followed by the No. 2 players and then the doubles match. Each match is best-of-three-sets.

DAY/LOCAL TIME MATCH PAIRING

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Singles A: Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)

Singles B: Melanie Oudin (USA) vs. Kim Clijsters (BEL)

Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Singles C: Mattek-Sands (USA) vs. Clijsters (BEL)

Singles D: Oudin (USA) vs. Wickmayer (BEL)

Doubles: Liezel Huber/Vania King (USA) vs. Kirsten Flipkens/An-Sophie Mestach (BEL)

Captains: Mary Joe Fernandez (USA), Sabine Appleman (BEL)

QUOTES FROM FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERNECE

U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez

On the outcome of today’s draw ceremony: “It really doesn’t matter who plays first. Both Melanie and Bethanie have had that opportunity of leading the team with the first match. It’s a matter of playing your best whenever you play and approaching it the right way.”

On the anticipated daily crowds of 10,000+: “This will be the biggest crowd we have played against the last couple of years. Loudest was for sure was the Czech Republic (2009 semifinals in Brno). This (anticipated 10,000+ daily) is about double the size of what we have had. We expected a battle. It is great for Fed Cup. It is great for both teams. We are gonna pretend they are rooting for us the whole time.”

On doubles: “We have always been real fortunate with our doubles. Liezel (Huber) has been a great supporter (of Fed Cup) and been there every time and has played some critical matches for us. I have always said I want it to come down to the doubles. That’s always my goal. If we win before that it is a bonus, but we like our chances if we get down to the doubles.”

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

On the transition from Australia to Belgium for her and Kim Clijsters: “I was there pretty much there til the end, playing in the mixed doubles in Australia (she reached the semis), so I was home (in Arizona) for literally 30 hours and I had to fly here. It’s a lot of traveling, but I have had a couple of days to get adjusted. She (Kim) has probably taken some time off as well. I think on the tour you are used to playing week to week. I think we’re both in shape, so we’ll be good.”

Melanie Oudin

On playing Kim Clijsters in the second match on Saturday:“ I am really excited that I get to play her. It should be a really good match. I’m gonna give it everything I have. I am a little bit happy that Bethanie is going first. It gives me more time to prepare tomorrow. It should be a really good match and I’m looking forward to it.”

On being the underdog: “Our team has come through before when we’ve been the underdog. Hopefully we can do it again. Belgium is a really tough team.”

From  United States Tennis Association Public Relations

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