Davis Cup 2008

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Russia, Argentina, Spain and the United States are off playing in something called "Semi-Finals", whatever they are, but obviously the world's attention is focussed on Wimbledon, for the all-important annual World Group Relegation play-off between Great Britain and this year's opponents, Austria. Who are surely more formidable opponents than Ecuador, who beat us here 3 years ago.

And blow me down if "the other Brit" (who doesn't sound very British, rather more like some Serbian lad John Lloyd found working on the district line one evening) isn't winning his opening game against the Austrian lad.

[Tony C]

Davis Cup 2008

Alex Bogdanovic is final singles pick.

Our hopes could well rest on a player whose eight Wimbledon wild card appearances have ended in eight defeats.

Rather gives the notion of 'home advantage' an unusual hue, doesn't it?

[Gangster Octopus]

Davis Cup 2008

Bogdanovic might not have to play...

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Davis Cup 2008

My favourite Davis Cup fact is that when 2 sides are drawn together, home advantage is decided by who had home advantage the last time, if those countries have met before, even if that was fifty years ago. There's something so very sporting about that rule that really appeals to me.

Agree on the use of "home advantage" this time, though. We're playing Austria, whose star player is, er, a former boy's champion at Wimbledon, and who has won several of his career doubles titles on grass. Our star player's best performances have all come on hard courts, and our second best player has never won a game on grass in eight years. So we choose to play on centre court ...

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Davis Cup 2008

Well, 2-2, so down to Bogdanovich.

Argentina and Spain leading their semi-finals at home (on clay) against Russia and the US respectively, and if they both win, the final this year will be in Buenos Aires on that "home advantage" rule (I just checked, Spain beat them in Madrid when they last played in 2003). I wonder if Nadal would travel to play in that final, it would be a big finish to what has been a momentous season for him.

[ursus arctos]

Davis Cup 2008

Italy are struggling with Latvia, which tells you all you need to know about the current state of men's tennis here.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Davis Cup 2008

Bogdanovic gets stuffed. You couldn't blame the Murrays for not bothering with playing EuroAfrican zone games next year, seeing as they've got Grand Slam titles to concentrate on, so Britain could be among the Davis Cup also-rans for some time to come (again).