2005 DAVIS CUP PREVIEW

USA vs. Croatia
March 4-6 2005.
Carson, California
Surface: Hard

As we close in on the first Davis Cup weekend of the year five players are on a tear. The US team is lead by Andy Roddick who is getting over a sore ankle after having had to sit out the semi-finals in Memphis. Prior to that he had won the Siebel Open and made it to the semis in Australia.

The USA’s second singles player is the legendary Andre Agassi. Agassi is returning from a semi-final loss in Dubai to his new nemesis Roger Federer. Agassi who is beginning to show signs of age has joined the US Davis Cup team to help bring home their first Davis Cup title in 10 years.

Rounding out the team are the Bryan Brothers. Mike and Bob have started the year off pretty solid by making it to three finals, one being the Australian Open, and winning their most recent in Scottsdale. The Bryans are currently undefeated in Davis Cup play with a 6-0 record.

The Croatians, however, are surging at just the right time. Croatia’s top player, Ivan Ljubicic would possibly be the owner of two titles if he had not run into World number 1, Roger Federer. As well he has been in four finals all together in 2005. 2005 stands to be a career year for Croatia’s number one.

Mario Ancic is an extremely talented young man. In 2003 he assisted Ljubicic in dispatching the US in the 2003 Davis Cup. The 20 year old is coming off a disappointing loss in the finals of the Tennis Channel Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ancic also teamed with Ljubicic in doubles to capture the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. With two big serves this pair stands to give the Bryans their most difficult match in Davis Cup play to date.

In singles, the US players have seen a tremendous advantage over their Croat counterparts. Roddick, who may not be at his best right now, is currently 5-1 against Ljubicic and 2-0 against Ancic.

Agassi on the other hand has not had to play either player much. He is currently 1-1 with Ljubicic and 1-0 over Ancic.

In Davis Cup play the surface can be a real advantage or disadvantage. The US recently was forced to play in Spain on clay against a team that grew up on the surface. Unfortunately for the US they will host a team that finds hard court as their favorite surface as well.

But this Davis Cup tie is not going to be won and lost on paper. It is going to be won on the courts of Carson, California. It is going to contain a battle of big servers and probably a few five set dramas. It is going to come down to who can win the big points at the important moments. And this is where Andre Agassi has the advantage. He has played in all the big moments that a top player can ask for. He has played Davis Cup numerous times and has been a key member of winning teams.

Against two big servers like Ljubicic and Ancic, Agassi, the great returner, is who the team is going to hang their hat on. He has shown that even faced up against 61 aces, like in Australia against Joachim Johannson, he can still pull out a win.

Somewhat different than the big Swede, the Croatian team has far better all around games. The ATP has touted Ancic as one of the rising stars on the tour. While he has come close to winning a number of tournaments he has yet to bring home the hardware. Ljubicic, as well, has found it hard to end up on top; at 26 he has only won one title.

While this is not a normal tournament it could come down to one match. Both countries know that winning this tie will, for all intents and purposes, land the winner in the semi-finals. The next round will be against either Belarus or Romania and both of these teams are just not strong enough to get much further.

The US needs to secure one of the two points on day one to put the pressure on the Croatian team. This will force the Croatians to make their way back onto the court on Saturday and face the world’s best doubles team (Los Bryans as they were referred to in Spain). Should the Croatians be able to pull out a 2-0 lead then it could afford them the ability to rest their top players and, for all intents and purposes, concede the doubles point.

So flip on your TV’s this weekend and you should find the most compelling Davis Cup tie in the last 12 months. Check your listings on ESPN 2 and ESPN Classic to catch the excitement, which starts on Friday. And check back on www.tennislifemagazine.com for all the highlights.

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