“10s Whenever” Newsletter Vol. 125

Written by: on 2nd February 2014
Wimbledon Championships
"10s Whenever" Newsletter Vol. 125

epa03777302 Andy Murray of Britain celebrates his victory over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland in their semi-final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 05 July 2013. EPA/KERIM OKTEN  |

Great Britain Greater Than USA in Davis Cup by John Freeman

 

 

SAN DIEGO – Just call him Sir Andy of Murray, King of Clay, even when he’s thousands of miles away from his Scottish homeland.

 

Murray’s four-set Sunday win over the USA’s Sam Querrey – a 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3 outcome that produced a handful of rousing moments — gave the Brits their first Davis Cup entry into the next round since 1986.

 

It came at the expense of an American team that, aside from the Bryan Brothers’ Saturday doubles win, mustered precious little in three singles losses. The result was a decisive 3-1 conquest.

 

The anomaly of the red-play surface plunked within a converted baseball stadium – San Diego’s Petco Park – hardly fazed Murray, the 2103 Wimbledon champ who underwent back surgery five months ago.

 

Hoping to shake Murray’s expected dominance on a conventional hard court, the USA opted for softer, slower red clay.

“I was surprised they put it on clay, to be honest,” Murray said afterward. “I think Sam’s best surface is hard courts.”

 

With Querrey’s upset loss Friday to 175th ranked James Ward, combined with Murray’s straight-set ouster of Young that same day, the Brits never looked back.

 

For history buffs, the match marked the first time Britain had defeated the USA since 1935 and the first time in 100 years that the Brits had triumphed over the USA on domestic soil, in this case, red clay.

 

In other words, a very long time.

 

Asked how that felt, an irked Courier gave this smart-aleck response.

 

“It feels great to be alive in 2014, put it that way,” he said. “We certainly don’t feel a lot of kinship to the last team. They’ve been dead a long time.”

 

Now it’s the moribund USA Davis Cup team that’s potentially six feet under, at least until re-qualifying matches, set for later this year. Pending that outcome, the Americans risk being relegated to what John McEnroe once famously termed Davis Cup’s “minor leagues.”

 

Gracious in praise of the British side, Courier also lauded Querrey’s effort, despite what appeared to be his bland body language at times.

 

“Having a competitive spirit goes a long way, but it displays itself in a lot of different ways,” said Courier. “It doesn’t have to be as overt as Jimmy Connors or perhaps the way I behaved on the court. It doesn’t have to be that in-your-face.”

 

Something the Americans weren’t.

 

NET NOTES:

 

  • Because Murray won the clinching match in four sets instead of three, the fifth and final match scheduled between the USA’s Donald Young and Great Britain’s James Ward was cancelled.
  • The event itself proved to be a rousing success. Attendance was around 6,000 for each of the three days; the atmosphere was exhilarating; and the bi-national fans’ rivalry was lively and good-natured.
  • Great Britain next faces Italy in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in April. The USA will play in September’s World Group Playoff against an opponent yet to be determined.

 

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