Security versus Surprises at the 2007 Davis Cup Finals
The United States versus Russia in the 2007 Davis Cup Finals represents a stark contrast… The U.S. team of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan brothers have consistently represented the U.S. in Davis Cup during captain, Patrick McEnroe’s tenure over the last several years. As a result, the lineup for the U.S. team, barring injuries, will match previous U.S. Davis Cup ties, i.e. Andy Roddick and James Blake in singles and the Bryan
brothers in the doubles. In contrast, the Russian team has featured several different players over the past couple years including multiple Grand Slam winner, Marat Safin, who is not even listed as a competitor for the Davis Cup Finals. Unlike the steady, calming influence of U.S. captain, Patrick McEnroe, the crafty Russian captain, Shamil Tarpischev, is known for his surprise moves. For example, Tarpischev chose to bench the highest-ranked member of the Russian team, i.e. Nikolay Davydenko, from the singles, but include him in the doubles lineup for Saturday. Many people expect Tarpischev to surprise again by changing the doubles lineup at the last minute, possibly based on Friday’s singles results. Tennis is not known as a team sport. However, as the 2007 Davis Cup Finals plays out over the weekend, the results will reflect how the team members “handle the moment,” as well as possibly the strategic choices made by captains, Patrick McEnroe and Shamil Tarpischev.
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