Why are GB so awful in the Davis Cup?

by user Alex Holowczak

Great Britain has not been as good as it could have been.

We embrace the Davis Cup in Britain, and laughed when the likes of Sampras and Agassi (and Stich!) turned down the invitations to play for their country.

Annoyingly, we spent too much time laughing. Henman (4 times Wimbledon Semi Finalist) & Rusedski (1997 US Tennis Open Finalist) should have took us towards a Davis Cup Semi you'd think. But here is a list of teams we lost to:-

• Chile (clay)
• USA (carpet)
• Czech Republic (clay)
• Ecuador (grass!!! and clay)
• Sweden (carpet - a lot of times)
• Morocco (clay)
• Austria (clay)

Henman & Rusedski were a great doubles team - they only ever lost 1 Davis Cup doubles. Without them, we'd have been nobody. AT ALL.

But now, with Andrew Murray, and some lucky devil that turns up on the day (well, a World Number 100 and plenty) have dropped down to a playoff, which if we win, we play in another playoff, which if we win, we'll be in the World Group Playoff, which if we win, we'll be in the World Group. It'll be 2008 before GB gets in it again.

But it's okay. We're playing Israel. ON GRASS. No problem. Here was the score at one point yesterday. GB were Murray and Bogdanovic -
Okun (260) beat Bogdanovic (148) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.
Ram (668) leads Murray (39) 6-2, 6-4, 5-5.

What the hell!? This is Israel, ON GRASS! Sure Ram can play doubles, but we should be beating these people.

Great Britain should be in with a chance of getting in the World Group, and failing that, we should beat Israel!!

Does the community think Great Britain has a chance of getting into a World Group that has countries such as Morocco and Zimbabwe in!?

Murray eventually won that match in the fifth to level the tie at 1-1. As I write this, the doubles match is 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 3-5* to GB, so Israel look likely to level at 2-2 in sets. Bogdanovic has been replaced by Delgado for this match. If Israel win this match, we would have to win both singles, which is likely, but it's still leaving it a bit fine. I have very little faith in Bogdanovic if it goes to a fifth-match against Ram.

Date

Sat 07/22/06, 10:02 am EST

ThecrookedcapAll-Star

1251 days ago

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Is GB playing at home? If so, then it's bad.

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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

1251 days ago

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Yep, at Eastbourne on grass. We just lost the last two sets of the doubles to lose, and go 2-1 down. GB lead 4-1 in the final set, but lost it 6-4. This weekend is becoming a nightmare for British tennis.

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Patrickburke1980All-American

1251 days ago

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why IS GB so awful in the David Cup?

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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

1251 days ago

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I don't know, we have the players, and the desire to win. We just always lose!! We all want to win, but don't... Then again, perhaps it's because we need to play in the "David Cup", whatever that is... :) Seriously though, we now have one player and that's it, but the two of the previous generation should have done better I think.

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Patrickburke1980All-American

1251 days ago

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the David Cup rules.

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StockMail

1251 days ago

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Well, you're probably going to have to get used to Great Britain toiling among the cellar dweller countries when it comes to Davis Cup because Great Britain is going through a not-so-subtle changing of the guard. Henman is done with Davis Cup and Rusedski is no longer a factor. It's no secret that the state of British tennis is in peril. So I guess you could either get used to Great Britain being a tennis bottom feeder or try to conjure up the spirit of Fred Perry.

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