Across The Net: Fantasy Davis Cup Teams
Posted by ikabod Crane on 02.12.2007
Which nation reigns supreme?
The first round of the 2007 Davis Cup is now complete. Russia, France, Germany, Belgium, U.S.A., Spain, Sweeden and Argentina have advanced to the quarterfinals. The U.S. plays Spain and gets to select the surface. Expect a fast court and perhaps grass for that quarterfinal tie.
Andy Roddick's two singles wins on clay including a four set victory over world #12 Thomas Berdych demonstrate that he is not sulking over his semifinal loss against Federer in Melbourne. Roddick who has won a number of small clay court titles in North America showed Connors influence by claiming that he has won tournaments on clay so he knows how to play on the surface. I am not sure I will be buying that if the U.S. faces Argentina on the road in the semifinals, but confidence is needed for success.
Fantasy Davis Cup
Here is a look at the 8 best Fantasy Davis Cup Teams I could devise. I started with the Open Era (1969 to present) and gave the higher seeded nation the surface selection.
1. Australia: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe and Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt is the controversial pick because the other three can play singles and doubles at a high level. Hewitt would likely not play, but if a counter puncher/baseliner is needed Australia would have one. Pat Rafter or Pat Cash would not offer the baseline dimension to the Aussies. Laver, Rosewall and Newcombe give all of the net play needed for singles and doubles.
2. United States of America: John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Arthur Ashe
I would pick this team due to Mac and Agassi's awesome records in Davis Cup. Sampras and Mac would be a formidable doubles team, and Ashe would add a lot of chemistry and composure to the team. I doubt Ashe would play much because Mac, Agassi and Sampras would handle the singles depending on surface and match-ups.
3. Sweden: Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander and Jonas Bjorkman
Edberg and Bjorkman would win just about any doubles match thrown at them. Wilander, Borg and Edberg could handle the singles depending on surface (grass – Borg and Edberg clay – Borg and Wilander hard court – Edberg and Wilander).
4. Germany: Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Carl-Uwe Steeb and Tommy Haas
Steeb was a baseliner and a lefty who won big matches in West Germany's 1988 and 1989 title runs. Becker was money in 1988 and 1989. Stich and Becker won the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal in doubles. Haas would provide good depth. If Stich and Becker got along in doubles, this team would be hard to beat.
5. Spain: Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, Alex Corretja and Sergi Bruguerra
The Spaniards have won two Davis Cup titles in the past 10 years. This team would be brutal on clay and mortal on faster surfaces. The doubles point would also be hard for Spain to win, but given that Spain has produced 7 French Open titles since 1993 it is easy to see how in singles on clay they would be hard to beat.
Safin and Kafelnikov would give a lot of singles versatility and strength on any surface. Youzhny and Tursunov would make a solid doubles team, and Kafelnikov could be a doubles player if he only had to play one singles match.
7. France: Yannick Noah, Guy Forget, Henri Leconte and Sebastian Grosjean
Seb would give France a nice counter puncher for slow surfaces. The other three were both capable of pulling upsets and of being inconsistent. Leconte and Forget are a good doubles tandem and both are left-handed. Like the Russians, the French would be good on most surfaces, but consistency may be the issue.
8. Czech Republic/Slovak Republic: Ivan Lendl, Petr Korda, Miloslav Mecir, and Thomas Berdych*
Lendl did play Davis Cup early in his career with great success. Mecir won the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal and was runner-up at the 1986 US and 989 Australian Opens. Korda took the 1998 Australian Open, and Berdych is a rising star.
Quarterfinal Ties
#1 Australia d. #8 Czech/Slovak Republics 4-1 on Grass
Laver d. Mecir 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Newcomb d. Lendl 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 7-6
Laver and Newcombe d. Lendl and Berdych 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Lendl d. Hewitt 6-4, 6-1
Rosewall d. Korda 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
#2 The United States d. #7 France 4-1 on Hard Court
McEnroe d. Noah 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
Sampras d. Leconte 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2
Sampras and McEnroe d. Leconte and Forget 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4
Grosjean d. Ashe 7-5, 3-6, 7-5
Agassi d. Noah 6-3, 6-1
#3 Sweden d. #6 Russia 5-0 on Clay
Borg d. Kafelnikov 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
Wilander d. Safin 2-6, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4
Edberg and Bjorkman d. Kafelnikov and Youzhny 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Wilander d. Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-4
Borg d. Safin 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
#4 Germany d. #5 Spain on Indoor Carpet 4-1
Becker d. Moya 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
Nadal d. Stich 1-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 10-8
Becker and Stich d. Corretja and Moya 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
Becker d. Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5
Stich d. Bruguerra 6-1, 6-2
Semifinal Ties
#1 Australia d. #4 Germany on Grass 3-2
Laver d. Stich 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Becker d. Newcombe 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 7-5
Newcomb and Laver d. Stich and Becker 7-5, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 12-10
Laver d. Becker 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Stich d. Hewitt 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
#2 U.S. d. #3 Sweden 3-2 (by far the toughest for me to call)
Edberg d. McEnroe 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 7-6
Sampras d. Borg 6-2, 6-4, 7-6
Edberg and Bjorkman d. McEnroe and Sampras 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
Sampras d. Edberg 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-5, 7-5
McEnroe d. Borg 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Final Tie
#1 Australia d. #2 U.S. on Grass 3-2 (another tough call)
Laver d. McEnroe 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 12-10
Sampras d. Newcomb 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3
Laver and Newcomb d. McEnroe and Sampras 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 6-7, 14-12
Sampras d. Laver 7-6, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Newcomb d. McEnroe 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 9-7 (with a controversial call or two no doubt)
Really, Sweden Australia and the U.S. depending on who was hosting and what surface was chosen could all make a strong case for having the best fantasy Davis Cup team. I tip my hat to the Aussies for taking Davis Cup seriously and taking doubles seriously. Laver is the man, but I had Sampras taking him down on grass in Oz. John Newcombe got the win over Mac due to the home crowd. I gave the Aussies the doubles point due to Newcombe winning 17 Grand Slam doubles titles and Laver winning 8 Grand Slam doubles titles. McEnroe did win 9 Grand Slam doubles titles, but Sampras never played doubles consistently. So it is subjective to give the nod in that direction, but based upon what I would guess are better overall doubles instincts on Newcomb and Laver's part.
* Czechoslovakia no longer exists, but for the sake of argument I am reconstituting the roster.
