Tennis Atlantic

2013 @DavisCup Semis/World Group Playoffs Preview, Predictions
Steen Kirby, TennisEastCoast.com

Fresh out of the US Open, Davis Cup will take center stage this weekend. The likes of Spain, Serbia, and Britain will be buoyed by the participation of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray respectively, while a host of other teams seek to make the world group or stay in it.

World Group Semis:

Serbia vs. Canada

Serbia is nearly full strength for this tie and Canada is at full strength. The action will take place on red clay in Belgrade. Serbia has better recent history with deep runs at the DC, while Canada are the surprising underdogs. The surface will not help the Canadians in this case, though.

Serbia has Novak Djokovic as their anchor, with Janko Tipsarevic playing second fiddle and the likely doubles tandem of Illija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic available to play.

Canada counters with Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, Frank Dancevic and doubles specialist Daniel Nestor. Raonic did pretty well on hard courts this summer and Pospisil has come into his own, but Djokovic is in top form. Tipsarevic, who has been terrible this year, seemed to find improvement in New York.

Canada could take this in an upset, but I just do not see it happening on clay as long as Novak goes 2-0 in singles.

The Pick: Serbia

Czech Republic vs. Argentina

The defending DC champs will have a tough test ahead against Argentina, but they get the home crowd and a preferred indoor hard court surface in their favor. Tomas Berdych, of course, is their anchor, with the veteran Radek Stepanek backing him up, followed by Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely. Argentina has Pico Monaco, Carlos Berlocq, Horacio Zeballos and Leo Mayer on their team, the big player missing being Del Potro.

The problem with Argentina is their team is not built for hard courts, and none of the players are in that great of form. The Czechs have a consistent Berdych, plus USO doubles champ Stepanek and Vesely (who is coming into his own to be relied upon). Lukas Rosol has been in a terrible slump, but I think he will be an afterthought either way. It should be noted only Monaco/Mayer and Berdych/Stepanek are planned to play singles rubbers this tie.

The Pick: Czech Republic

World Group Playoffs:

Spain vs. Ukraine

The seemingly unstoppable Rafael Nadal leads the real Spanish Armada A team at home on red clay in Madrid against an underdog Ukrainian team that is trying to make the world group. Along with Nadal, ageless veteran Tommy Robredo and Fernando Verdasco and doubles specialist Marc Lopez make up team Spain. Ukraine counters with Alex Dolgopolov, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Denys Molchanov and Vladyslav Manafov.

With Dolgo and Stako not playing their best and the Spanish team in good form, I don’t see this one being close at all. Spain will probably sweep.

The Pick: Spain

Netherlands vs. Austria

A bittle of middling European teams on indoor clay in Holland, the Dutch have Robin Haase, challenger circuit star Jesse Huta Galung, Thiemo De Bakker and doubles specialist Jean-Julien Rojer. They will match up against team Austria which features Jurgen Melzer, Andreas Haider-Maurer and the doubles team of Oliver Marach/Julian Knowle, though Knowle isn’t scheduled to play ahead of time.

This is actually a rather close tie. If Melzer can play up to form and win his two singles matches, the Austrians would then only need the doubles or Haider-Maurer to get a win, and clay is a helpful surface. The Dutch are very unpredictable in DC play.

The Pick: Austria

Croatia vs. Great Britain

With Marin Cilic falling victim to an ITF suspension, the Croat team is severely hobbled. They still have Ivan Dodig, but he is joined by a motley crue of Antonio Veic, Mate Pavic and Borna Coric.

The Brits get Andy Murray this time to lead them along with an in-form Dan Evans and the doubles team of Jonathan Marray/Colin Fleming. The Croats get this tie on clay in Umag but it is still going to be tough. In fact, the fate of this tie likely rests on the shoulders of the 16 year old Borna Coric, who made his ATP main draw debut in Umag this year.

The Pick: Great Britain

Switzerland vs. Ecuador

The Swiss are heavy favorites to stay in the world group as they get this tie at home on indoor hard courts. Stan the Man Wawrinka is in awesome form with Marco Chiudinelli, Henri Laaksonen, and Michael Lammer joining him, though only Wawrinka and Chiudinelli are scheduled to play.

Ecuador has a weak clay court specialist team of Emilio Gomez, Julio-Cesar Campozano, Roberto Quiroz and Gonzalo Escobar, none of whom are ranked inside the top 300.

The Pick: Switzerland

Germany vs. Brazil

On indoor hard courts, the Germans are led by Phillip Kohlschreiber and backed up by Daniel Brands, Florian Mayer and doubles specialist Martin Emmrich.

They prepare to battle Brazil which has Thomaz Bellucci, Rogerio Dutra Silva and the doubles team of Marcelo Melo/Bruano Soares.

Because of the surface and the home crowd, Germany would seem to have the advantage here and should remain in the world group.

The Pick: Germany

Poland vs. Australia

In Warsaw on clay, Lukasz Kubot will lead Polish power against Lleyton Hewitt and Australia. Poland has the doubles team of Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski as well, plus number 2 singles player Michal Przysiezny.

Australia has Bernard Tomic, the youngster Nick Kyrgios and Chris Guccione as well. Jerzy Janowicz suffered an injury and had to be pulled from this tie, handicapping the Polish team, but the clay will help give them a shot. Hewitt will need to step up big-time for the green and gold.

The Pick: Australia

Belgium vs. Israel

This tie started yesterday because of Yom Kippur religious observance by the Israeli team. It is tied at one each as Steve Darcis beat Dudi Sela for Belgium and Israeli Amir Weintraub fired back with a 5 set win over Ruben Bemelmans. The tie is being played on clay in Antwerp and Belgium suffered a setback when David Goffin broke his wrist and had to be pulled from the tie.

The doubles remain with Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram vs Steve Darcis and Olivier Rochus, then reverse singles on Saturday.

I personally think Belgium will prevail but this one could be close.

The Pick: Belgium

Japan vs. Colombia

In Tokyo on indoor hard courts, Kei Nishikori and Japan face Santiago Giraldo and Colombia. Japan also has Go Soeda as their number 2 player, with Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita available. Alejandro Falla is the Colombian number 2 with Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal making up the doubles team.

Nishikori has been struggling, and if Giraldo or Falla could pull out a singles rubber win, Colombia will have a good chance in this.

The Pick: Colombia