Davis Cup is on the tip of everyone’s tongue this week. 8 intriguing match ups to salivate over. 5-set heaven. National Pride. Tennis on the world stage. Great, great, great, and greatest.
I’m with you guys on the fact that Davis Cup tennis is something to get pumped about. I’m excited too. You'd have to lack a pulse to not get amped about another installment of Nadal v. Djokovic, this one in Benidorm, Spain. You'd have to have one foot in the grave to not want to watch a French equippe that looks extremely formidable as it prepares to do battle with the Czechs in Ostrava. I am excited. But my enthusiasm is tempered by one peircing question:
Where’s Roger?
Unfortunately, OCTF’s (obsessive compulsive tennis fans) like us don’t need to be told where Roger aka our heavenly father Federer is. We, the ever vigilant tennis-junky type of fans, know the answer to this painful question. He’s in Dubai working out with Darren aka Killer Cahill. It seems these two old friends are contemplating a short-but-could-become-long agreement.
That is thrilling news, and definitely worthy of much thought provoking speculation, but is this what tennis-crazed fans need to be reading about on the eve of the competition? What does Federer's absence say about the importance of Davis Cup in the scheme of things? Does the system need tinkering so we can be assured that the best players in the world (not just the guys who are in the mood) regularly compete?
If I were in Fed's shoes, I'd want the time as well - he's got bigger fish to fry this season and we all know that. Problem is, the words "Davis Cup" really seem to lose some lustre when you take Federer's name out of the equation.
Of course, Fed faithful will rush to exclaim that his back really is hurt. I don’t disagree. All I am saying is that if the Davis Cup was truly important in the way that majors are important, Fed would be fighting to compete. But instead of doing that he is doing the smart thing: He is getting healthy. Sadly, Davis Cup just isn’t worth the effort for him.
This is precisely what disappoints me about Davis Cup right now. It's just so much to ask for someone who is really gunning for the grand-slams with every drop of fuel that is in the tank. Naturally, as a guy who is gonna click on the t.v. tomorrow and want to be entertained, I want more out of Davis Cup. I see how positive it could be for the growth and allure of the sport. I see what a unifying national interest can do to increase buzz for tennis.
Sadly, tennis fails to take advantage of this opportunity to shine to the fullest. James Blake opting out of last years U.S. semifinal with Spain is another shining example of the attitude that some of the games greatest players take about Davis Cup. It's almost as if it were an obligation rather than an offer you wouldn't dare refuse.
Hopefully someday that'll change. In the meantime, here are the match ups.
Argentina v Netherlands
Czech Republic v France
U.S.A. v Switzerland
Croatia v Chile
Sweden v Israel
Romania v Russia
Germany v Austria
Spain v Serbia
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