Jim Courier Has a Challenge in Picking US Davis Cup Squad

Written by: Staff on 23rd January 2012

Jim Courier Has a Challenge in Picking US Davis Cup Squad |

United States Davis Cup captain Jim Courier is an integral part of the Australian Open as Channel 7’s lead commentator and designated on-court interviewer following the big men’s matches. However he is fighting an uphill battle when it comes to piecing together a team for the upcoming World Group tie against Switzerland.

First Andy Roddick admitted he would be unable to play in Friebourg after injuring a hamstring in his exit to Lleyton Hewitt. Now Bob Bryan has also declared his unavailability because he is due to become a father for the first time on January 29 when his wife Michelle is due to give birth.

“I’m officially out. I called Jim in November to say so and he was supportive,” said one half of the Bryan brothers team that is still in the hunt to win a sixth Australian Open men’s doubles title. “He said it’s probably not a smart play, and added ‘you won’t have your head in the game’.”

However the other half of the family team that has “Mike is going solo and play with Mardy [Fish], John [Isner] or Sam [Querrey].”

Together the Bryan’s have registered 18 doubles victories in the Davis Cup’s elite World Group and the last time neither of them figured in an American team was in the 2010 September play-off against Colombia in Bogota when departing captain Patrick McEnroe successfully elected to play a partnership of John Isner and Mardy Fish.

Bob Bryan was also forced to miss the 2008 semi-final against Spain in Madrid because of an injured shoulder but Mike Bryan and Fish managed to win the United States a point in the 1-4 defeat, beating the team of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in four sets.

Meanwhile Indian Davis Cup doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi became a father for the first time on Friday when his actress wife Lara gave birth to a girl named Saira. Two days later the newly instigated Indian pairing of Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were knocked out of the Australian Open men’s doubles by Americans Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram.