The final of the Davis Cup has started with Roddick vs Tursunov. So far it's 1-1 in the first set (exciting, huh? :hmm: )

humph - Roddick is 4-2 up :angry:

(not that i'm a biased commentator or anything...... :P )

not going so well for Tursunov :(

down a set and a break :shrug:

I see Roddick is doing what he does best. :clap:

Let's see whether Blakey can back it up later on ... that would surely be as good as the end for Russia's hopes of retaining their title ...

:ban:

:P

yup beating players ranked much lower than he is... :P roflmao

i know i shouldn't but i gotta :giggle: at that :P

Well, there aren't that many players ranked higher than he is, are there ... :shrug:

And the one who is from the Russian team isn't playing singles ...

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a big Roddick fan - but I don't dislike him either.

I just want the Russians to win :cry:

But Safin isn't even playing ... still knackered from his mountain trip ... :P

hey, there's other russians than Safin you know - a whole country of them so i've been told :P

actually, i quite like Tursunov and Youhzny and i'm not a big fan of either Roddick or Blake so..... :shrug:

cheers :P

:) Blake ..playing some semi inspired tennis.... :)

blake takes the first set 6-3

I know ... I like Misha and Dmitriy too. But tbh I never thought they would stand much of a chance against Roddick and Blake (ok, with the latter you never know - but let's say on one of his good days).

I know Davydenko has never won against either of them, and he's not in the best of states at the moment, but I can't help but wonder if he wouldn't have been the better choice ... :shrug:

Anyway, well done to James (whom I like also) for being two sets up! :ok: :clap:

Since the Americans have the doubles point as good as safe, this could be the end of the road for Russia ... although it ain't over until Sere... ummm the fat lady sings.

And it looks like Dave is getting ready to croon ...

The Bryans are up 2 sets and a break.

There doesn't seem to be so much interest in these matches here - why not? Admittedly it's all a bit anticlimactic ... but still, it's the final of the Davis Cup - which I would have thought should garner more interest than certain exhibition matches ... :whistle:

well to be fair if you're not Russian or American then it's probably not really going to capture the imagination very much... :shrug:

I really don't understand why the Russian coach did not put Davydenko in the singles matches and Youshny in the doubles. Surely he had some money on the Americans to win!!!!!!!

:shrug: :blink:

Well, Davydenko had a very bad record against both Roddick and Blake. Tarpishev has a history of making seemingly strange choices with his team, and them paying off --- but not this time. I also think Kolya would have had a better chance.

Anyway, the Bryans just won in straight sets. :clap:

bugger.

bugger.

bugger.

:cry:

I agree with Tenez, I cannot understand why Davydenko didn't play the singles :shrug:

Stupid choice :angry:

I think there is a lack of interest in this cos people can't see the match. At least I can't. I think for many of us if it's nt a slam then we ares crewed and still screwed on the USO. :rolleyes:

Sure Davydenko may have a bad record but he never gives matches easily away, typically I mean ;) . He is extremely good at sucking of all the energy from his opponents. So even if he had lost his first match he woudl have made the task easier for his compatriot on the third day. It's like when he plays versus Roger or Nadal, he may lose but he is still closer to beating them than any player ranked lower. His matches versus Federer have been really close this year....and even Nadal on clay.

I seriously question the coach decision. I was of course kidding when I mentioned the stake on the US to win but I wonder whether he and the ATP knows already about the outcome of Davydenko's case and therefore could not have the Russian team winning it with Davy as the hero if he happened to be guilty.

In other words, this does not bode well for Davydenko who should hear the verdict on the betting issue soon.

The Bryans did well, although Andreev and Davydenko gave them a run for their money in the first set.

Andy Roddick was in floods of tears at the end- it clearly meant a lot to him and the rest of the team.

I agree with the other comments that Russia didn't make the right selections. I think Andreev should have played one of the rubbers.

Ultimately though, as Peter Fleming said (btw he's a good commentator but so annoying in the studio! grr!) they missed Safin- not just his game but his general presence.

do you think perhaps that there is just a lack of publicity surrounding the Davis Cup in general? I mean, the slams are the "gold medals" of the sport, and it's not generally a team sport. And this could be just me, but does anyone else find it slightly confusing as to when it's being played and how all the groups work and how the ties are worked out etc etc. Maybe it's just me - 'cos it's really not that difficult to confuse me :wacko:

I remember Safin suggesting at some point that perhaps the Davis cup should be played every 2 or even every 4 years - that way there's a chance it would become a more prestigious event and also persuade the bigger names to play all the ties :shrug: he pointed out that the reason there's not as much interest is 'cos we have the final in december, and in Feb it starts all over again :nope:

yeah, i miss safin too :yep: :P

As I said, I agree that Davydenko would have been the better choice. And perhaps even Andreev, though of course he is less of a threat outside of clay.

Anyway, it was always going to be tough for the Russians on hardcourts.

Well if they did it every four years then they have to make it accessible and publicise. Like World Cup. No one knows it is on and no one can see it unless they have Sky. I know it is on cos I like tennis but most of the popluation wouldn't. And I don't really bother to chat about it as I don't have Sky so cannot see it so have no diea how the ,atches went..

I also agree with Dinky about having Safin in the final (maybe not for the same reasons ;) ) but in those big occasions like a Dc final, having someone with raw talent who on the day can beat anyone might be the right card to play. I remember when Noah was the French DC coach and asked Leconte to play versus Sampras in the DC final's last day even though Leconte had had back problems and was close to retiring, Noah knew that there was no other french players,even of better ranked than Henry, able to beat Sampras even at their best and therefore took the risk to play leconte.

It turned out to be Leconte's greatest achievement.

Safin could have been that Leconte ( a sexier version for sure) and could have generated more interest.

Have been quite busy lately and not on the forum much, but I had to come on to cheer that US Davis Cup Team! :yahoo: :yahoo:

Way to go, Roddick, Blake & the Bryans!!! :bow:

:ban:

This isn't something you see often- Bob Bryan vs Ignor Andreev in a singles rubber! Wouldn't it be great if Bob wins?!

It wasn't meant to be ... but I guess they partied quite hard on the Saturday night according to the Bryans' blog ... :)

In any case, Andreev got the single point for Russia, with Blake getting dominated by Tursunov in the first set but then pulling it out in three to make it 4-1 for the US of A. :clap:

Congratulations USA! I was also surprised Nicolya wasn't selected so i can only speculate that Tarpischev though after all the problems of the last few months that Nicolay wasn't mentally ready to play in singles.