Isner and Querrey Prep for Weekend Davis Cup Showdown With Slovakia

September 11, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
John_Isner (12)
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

The order of play for this weekend’s U.S. vs. Slovakia Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoff tie was determined at a draw ceremony on Thursday, hosted at The Stonegate in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod drew the names at Thursday’s draw. The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country’s number one singles player against the number two player from the opposing country.

Davis Cup will return to Chicago for the first time since 1928.

Tomorrow’s singles play will feature top American John Isner and world number 51 Sam Querrey. Isner holds a 6-7 singles record in Davis Cup play (1-2 on hard courts), while Querrey holds a 4-8 singles record (3-1 on hard courts).

In the first match of the day, world number 16 Isner will face world number 126 Norbert Gombos. Isner and Gombos have never played each other on the ATP World Tour. Isner has opened a Davis Cup tie just twice in his career—in the 2013 World Group Quarterfinal against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, in Boise, Idaho, and in Isner’s debut in the 2010 World Group First Round, also against Serbia. Isner lost both matches, so he is looking to win his first-ever opening match of a Davis Cup tie. Gombos made his Davis Cup debut in the Europe/Africa Group I Quarterfinal this April, going 1-1 in singles play and defeating now Top 40 player Dominic Thiem in the opening singles rubber. Outside of Davis Cup, Gombos has not played an ATP main draw match in his career.

In the second match of the day, Querrey will face Slovakia’s top player and world number 57 Martin Klizan. Querrey and Klizan have never faced each other on the ATP World Tour. Querrey will be playing in the second singles rubber for the fourth time in his Davis Cup career, holding a 1-3 record when he is the second match on Friday. Klizan holds a 9-6 overall singles record in Davis Cup play (7-3 on hard courts).

 The U.S. holds a 2-0 lead over Slovakia in Davis Cup competition. The Americans last faced the Slovaks in the 2003 World Group Playoff in Bratislava, where the U.S. won, 3-2, behind a team led by Andy Roddick, who won the U.S. Open singles title the week before. Mardy Fish and the Bryans also competed on the squad. The U.S. also played Slovakia in the 2002 World Group First Round in Oklahoma City, with the U.S. winning the tie, 5-0.

The U.S. is 110-18 all-time in Davis Cup ties played at home, playing in 79 different venues in 34 states. The U.S. Davis Cup team has made just one appearance in Illinois, sweeping Japan in the America Zone final in 1928 at the Town & Fitness Club in Chicago. This will be the fourth consecutive home tie for the U.S. Davis Cup team.

The winner of this tie qualifies for the 2015 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 2015.

The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. The U.S. holds a 213-68 all-time Davis Cup record and has a winning record against 35 of the 39 countries faced and a level record with one country. The U.S. is undefeated versus 21 countries and holds an active winning streak against 34 nations. Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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