Davis Cup Variables: Players, Surface and "Home Court" Advantage
The first round of the 2010 Davis Cup is underway with Ties being played across Europe and one in South America (the locations do reflect, in a way, where the strength of men's tennis resides these days). For each of these Ties, the three key variables, i.e. players on the
team, the choice of surface that the home team has, well as the effects of the boisterous hometown crowd on both the home and away teams, will dictate who wins.
Several Ties are lacking the country's marquee players and clearly "who plays" has a major impact on a team's success. For example, defending champion, Spain, which is playing without Rafael Nadal and other top Spanish players, is tied 1-1 after the first day’s singles matches. In terms of surface, half the Ties are being played on clay and the other half on hard courts. This decision regarding surface can have a significant effect on the outcome of the Tie. For example, imagine the American team of John Isner and Sam Querrey playing Novak Djokovic and the rest of the Serbian team on hard courts instead of clay. In that scenario, the Americans would probably be favored. The home court advantage should be an asset for the home team. However, there is also added pressure on the home town players to not disappoint their fans and players react differently to that type of pressure, i.e. some rise to the occasion and play better while others wilt under the weight of expectations.
In the end, all three variables, i.e. the players, surface and home country “advantage”, to a lesser or greater extent, affect the outcome of each Davis Cup Tie. Which factor has the greatest impact on each individual Tie is probably a function of the players themselves. Regardless, the “drama” of Davis Cup Ties is unique in professional tennis.
Several Ties are lacking the country's marquee players and clearly "who plays" has a major impact on a team's success. For example, defending champion, Spain, which is playing without Rafael Nadal and other top Spanish players, is tied 1-1 after the first day’s singles matches. In terms of surface, half the Ties are being played on clay and the other half on hard courts. This decision regarding surface can have a significant effect on the outcome of the Tie. For example, imagine the American team of John Isner and Sam Querrey playing Novak Djokovic and the rest of the Serbian team on hard courts instead of clay. In that scenario, the Americans would probably be favored. The home court advantage should be an asset for the home team. However, there is also added pressure on the home town players to not disappoint their fans and players react differently to that type of pressure, i.e. some rise to the occasion and play better while others wilt under the weight of expectations.
In the end, all three variables, i.e. the players, surface and home country “advantage”, to a lesser or greater extent, affect the outcome of each Davis Cup Tie. Which factor has the greatest impact on each individual Tie is probably a function of the players themselves. Regardless, the “drama” of Davis Cup Ties is unique in professional tennis.
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