Ricky Dimon

• Approach Shots: With U.S. Open over, Davis Cup takes center stage

  2009-09-15 21:50:32
  

  “Approach Shots” is Ricky’s weekly look at what’s ahead (or “approaching”) on the ATP Tour. Every Sunday he’ll preview all the tournaments scheduled for the upcoming week.

   

  The U.S. Open—and the 2009 Grand Slam year—is over, but the tennis season continues. While most players get a break this week (and throughout the next few weeks before the indoor Masters events), 16 men (approximately) will be thrilled to take the court this weekend. After all, they have a chance to play for their country with enormous national pride at stake. The Davis Cup semifinals will soon get underway in Porec, Croatia and Murcia, Spain. Croatia welcomes the visiting Czech Republic, while the defending Davis Cup champion Spaniards host underdog Israel.

   

  Czech Republic vs. Croatia
  
  Where: Porec, Croatia
  Surface: Clay (Indoors)
  Czech Republic: Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Jan Hernych, Lukas Dlouhy
  Croatia: Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Roko Karanusic, Lovro Zovko

   

  This semifinal showdown should easily be the more competitive of the two Davis Cup ties. On paper, in fact, it looks like a complete toss-up. Croatia’s Marin Cilic is ranked No. 15 in the world and Ivo Karlovic registers at 31^st, while Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic are 17^th and 18^th, respectively. Clay is not the preferred surface for any of the four men, but all of them can get the job done on the slow stuff.

   

  All four singles players have reason to be confident at the moment, as well. Karlovic is slumping, but he knows he can win big Davis Cup rubbers after outlasting James Blake in a five-setter during July’s quarterfinal ties. Cilic reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, upsetting Andy Murray in the process. Berdych made it to the Cincinnati quarters and the third round in New York, while Stepanek won three matches at the Open before falling to Novak Djokovic.

   

  The doubles point should go to the Czechs, as Lukas Dlouhy is coming off a title at the U.S. Open (with Leander Paes), and he also triumphed at Roland Garros. It’s not a foregone conclusion, but the host Croats will probably have to win three of the four singles rubbers. With the crowd behind them, they certainly have a chance to do just that. This tie should go the distance, and if it does, look for home-court advantage to be the deciding factor.

   

  Prediction: Croatia 3, Czech Republic 2

   

  ***note: Davis Cup ties are best three out of five matches (called “rubbers”) with two singles matches on both Friday and Sunday and a doubles rubber on Saturday. When a team wins three matches (earns three “points”), the tie is clinched and any remaining rubbers are referred to as “dead” rubbers. Prior to a team winning three points, all rubbers are “live.” All live rubbers are three out of five sets; dead singles rubbers are two out of three.***

   

  Israel vs. Spain
  
  Where: Murcia, Spain
  Surface: Clay
  Israel: Dudi Sela, Harel Levy, Jonathan Erlich, Andy Ram
  Spain: David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Feliciano Lopez

   

  Rafael Nadal, of course, is out due to an abdominal strain. But it doesn’t matter. This is still a David vs. Goliath situation with the underdog Israelis set to battle host Spain on red clay. Even without Nadal, the Spanish lineup is still flat-out scary. Tommy Robredo won two clay-court titles earlier this season and reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open; Juan Carlos Ferrero, in the midst of a resurgent 2009 campaign that has him back up to No. 21 in the world, has been on fire this summer; David Ferrer is struggling, but he remains a potent force in the men’s game (especially on clay); Feliciano Lopez has been a successful staple of Spain’s doubles team.

   

  On the Israeli side, Dudi Sela has been dealing with an ankle injury and it contributed to his first-round loss in New York to Kevin Kim. Harel Levy won some huge Davis Cup rubbers already this season, but not at the expense of anyone like the opponents he will face this weekend. Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich were once a formidable doubles duo, but Erlich has been injured all year and Ram now plays with Max Mirnyi in ATP tournaments.

   

  Lopez will not have partner Fernando Verdasco (foot) at his disposal, but the Spaniards should still be able to take the doubles point. With the singles rubbers all but guaranteed to go in Spain’s favor, this one should be a 3-0 clean sweep. Still, win or lose, this has been an impressive 2009 Davis Cup run by Israel.

   

  Prediction: Spain 3, Israel 0 (last two rubbers dead)

   

  Comments and your own predictions are appreciated!

   

   

   

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