Rethinking the Davis Cup…….
By: Mark Wasserman

05/21/2006 Cupertino, California - The Davis Cup (and the Fed Cup) should not be held every year.  I know, I know, it’s been held annually (with just a few cancellations) for over a century.  And there is something to be said for maintaining such a storied tradition.  But honestly……besides a few tennis fanatics…..have you ever heard anyone buzzing with anticipation about the latest Davis Cup Tie?  Me neither.  When the Olympics used to happen once every four years, the anticipation and excitement would build up.  Once the Winter and Summer Olympics were split up so that one was on the way every two years, some of the thrill was gone.  It doesn’t seem like as big of a deal when it happens more often.  If you play the Davis Cup every other year, it won’t suddenly surpass the World Cup on the international scene but it might just gain a little more attention from the average tennis fan. 

Furthermore, most of the players would be relieved if the Davis Cup wasn’t an annual exercise.  Playing for your country is a fulfilling but draining experience.  It is rewarding, but it is a major commitment.  Top players would be more likely to play at each event if they did not have to go through the grind of, potentially, four or more ties every single year.  Whether it was right or wrong, stars like Sampras and Agassi felt like they could not play on a number of different occasions.  Players are competing, essentially, eleven months a year.  With the tournament schedule as demanding as it is, top players want to focus on staying healthy and peaking at the right times.  Agreeing to play in four more tournaments (potentially) every year can interfere with that.  And, unfortunately, there will always be some players who just don’t care too much because they’re not bringing in the big money for their Davis Cup matches. 

Finally, how can you have one tournament that takes the entire year?  The Olympics don’t try to squeeze in rounds throughout the year when the athletes have breaks in their regular season.  If the Davis Cup is a major event, and I believe it is (or at least should be), why can’t the powers that be rearrange the schedule so that the Davis Cup is sort of a month-long kickoff to the tennis season.  Put it sometime in February so the players can have a 2-month break for rest and recovery from the prior year.  Then, the Aussie Open can be at a more sensible time, in March.  Obviously, that will wreak havoc with some other tournaments.  But why not design the schedule around the “big stuff,” the Slams and the Davis Cup, instead of fitting the Davis Cup in around minor tournaments?

By the way, good luck to the United States, set to play Russia in the semis this September.  There is now a core group that cares (Roddick, Blake, the Bryans, Ginepri, Fish, etc.).  Maybe that’s the first step to get the country to care.

The French Open

Look for Nadal to repeat.  Federer claims he is getting closer and closer to figuring him out, but until he actually proves it, I’ll go with Nadal on the clay courts every time.  By the way, the only time you should ever bet against Federer (and even this is risky) is when he is playing Nadal on a clay court.  Period.  We’re talking about a guy who defeated Sampras at Wimbledon while just a teenager.  The French Open being the French Open, however, means that one can never be too sure about anything.  This is the tournament in which illustrious names such as Gaudio, Verkerk, Medvedev, Puerta, etc. have made the finals in recent years.  I root for the underdog just as much as the next guy, but let’s all hope that doesn’t happen this year.  If Federer can win the French, he will have the best opportunity of anyone in my lifetime of completing the calendar year Grand Slam.  On the second Sunday on the tournament, Nadal may be the last, best chance for anyone to stop Federer’s march to history.  Let’s hope, for tennis’ sake, that the likes of Coria, Robredo, Nalbandian, et al don’t prevent that match up from happening.

On the women’s side, Henin-Hardenne will attempt to defend her title, but it won’t be easy.  Now that Mauresmo has won a Slam, she may have the confidence it takes to win her home country’s tournament.  Clijsters, meanwhile, is a huge threat on this surface on which her movement is just as big a weapon as her groundstrokes.  And, as always, the likes of Sharapova, Davenport, Petrova, and Williams are capable of outslugging any opponents on a given day, but I don’t see any of them doing it consistently enough on clay to bring home the trophy.  The pick here is Clijsters taking the crown from her fellow Belgian.  

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