DONALD YOUNG JR., JACK SOCK, SAM QUERREY, STEVE JOHNSON TO FACE UZBEKISTAN IN DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP PLAYOFF

Written by: Staff on 7th September 2015

DONALD YOUNG JR., JACK SOCK, SAM QUERREY, STEVE JOHNSON TO FACE UZBEKISTAN IN DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP PLAYOFF

epa04918825 Donald Young of the US hits a return to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their match on the eighth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 07 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Matches to be held at the Olympic Tennis School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan,

Sept. 18-20

Sock and Johnson to Make Davis Cup Debut;

Up-and-Coming Americans Taylor Fritz and Michael Mmoh

Named U.S. Davis Cup Team Practice Partners

The USTA and United States Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier today announced that world No. 28 Jack Sock, world No. 38 Sam Querrey, world No. 47 Steve Johnson, and world No. 68 Donald Young will represent the U.S. in the 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoff against Uzbekistan. The best-of-five match series will be played on an outdoor red clay court at the Olympic Tennis School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sept.18-20.

The United States has never faced Uzbekistan in Davis Cup competition. The U.S. fell to Great Britain, 3-2, in the World Group First Round in March in Glasgow, Scotland. The U.S. holds a 214-69 overall record in Davis Cup play and 77-46 when playing on the road. The winner of this tie qualifies for the 2016 Davis Cup World Group and is eligible to compete for the Davis Cup title next year. The losing nation will compete in its respective Zone Group I competition in 2016.

Play begins at 10:00 a.m. local time (1:00 a.m.) on Friday, Sept. 18, and Sunday, Sept. 20. Play will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 19. Friday will include two singles matches featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match. And the final day of play on Sunday features the two “reverse singles” matches, when the No. 1 players square off followed by the No. 2 players meeting each other in the final match. All matches are best-of-five sets until one nation clinches the tie. A revised schedule for Sunday may take place if a team clinches in the third or fourth match. Tennis Channel will provide live daily coverage.

Sock, 22, is ranked a career-high No. 28 and is making his Davis Cup debut. Sockwon his first career ATP singles title this year at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, defeating Querrey in the final. He then reached the fourth round at the French Open and the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I. Also this year, Sock reached the fourth round in Indian Wells and the third round in Miami. Sock has also thrived in doubles, winning the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title and the 2015 Indian Wells crown with Vasek Pospisil and peaking at a career-high No. 6 in the individual doubles rankings this May; he also reached the doubles quarterfinals of the French Open this year. In 2011, Sock won the US Open mixed doubles title with fellow American Melanie Oudin. As a standout junior player, Sock won the 2010 US Open boys’ singles title (defeating Denis Kudla in an All-American final) and qualified for the main draw of the US Open in 2010 and 2011 by winning the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships.

Querrey, 27, is ranked No. 38 and will be competing in his ninth Davis Cup tie. Last year, Querrey played in both the Davis Cup first round in San Diego against Great Britain, as well as the World Group playoff in Chicago against Slovakia. He holds a 6-8 singles record in Davis Cup and made his Davis Cup debut against then-world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on clay in Madrid in the 2008 World Group semifinal, losing in four sets. Querrey holds seven career ATP singles titles and has been ranked as high as No. 17 in the world. He reached two ATP finals this year—the grass-court event in Nottingham, where he faced Istomin in the final, and the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

Sam Querrey of the US in action against Tommy Robredo of Spain during their second round match at the Western & Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 19 August 2015. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

Johnson, 25, is ranked No. 47 and also making his Davis Cup debut. Johnson peaked at a career-high No. 37 in the world last November after competing in all four Grand Slam events in 2014 and reaching the quarterfinals or better at five ATP events. This year, Johnson advanced to the third round of the Australian Open and French Open, losing to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka, and reached two ATP semifinals (Washington D.C. and Winston-Salem, N.C.). Johnson turned pro in 2012 after completing an outstanding college tennis career at the University of Southern California, winning the 2011 and 2012 NCAA singles championships and leading the Trojans to team titles all four years he played for the school. Johnson has had an impressive professional debut following USC. He reached the third round of the 2012 US Open, becoming the first reigning NCAA champion to advance to the third round of the men’s singles since Sargis Sargisian in 1995.

Young, 26, is ranked No. 68 and will be making his third appearance for the U.S. Davis Cup team after competing in this year’s first round against Great Britain in Glasgow. Young advanced to the final of the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla., this year—his second ATP singles final (2011 Bangkok). Also this year, Young reached the singles semifinals and doubles final of the ATP event in Memphis and the third round in Indian Wells. Young broke into the Top 40 in February 2012 and qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.In 2011, he reached the fourth round at the US Open, upsetting two Top 30 players en route. And last year, he reached the third round at both the Australian Open and French Open. Young was a standout junior player, winning the 2005 Australian Open and 2007 Wimbledon boys’ singles titles. And at age 16 years, 5 months, he became the youngest-ever year-end world junior No. 1 in 2005.

Additionally, U.S. Captain Jim Courier announced the practice partners for the U.S. Davis Cup team—top juniors Taylor Fritz and Michael Mmoh. Fritz, 17, was the No. 1-ranked junior in the world this summer (the first U.S. boy since Young in 2005). He reached the French Open boys’ final this year and the boys’ semifinals at Wimbledon. Fritz was also the 2015 USTA Boys’ 18s national doubles champion (with Reilly Opelka), earning a doubles wild card into this year’s US Open. Mmoh, 17, was a 2015 French Open boys’ semifinalist and ranked No. 3 in the ITF World Junior rankings this summer. Last year, he was a Junior Davis Cup champion.

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis. It is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with 126 nations entered in 2015. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The U.S. holds a 214-69 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com. Follow the U.S. Davis Cup team on Twitter @USDavisCupTeam. Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

Topics: Davis Cup, Donald Young jr, jack sock, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, Tennis News