BBC - 606 - - A21635624 - Croatia can be beaten

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Croatia can be beaten

by Piers Newbery - BBC Sport (U1654697) 11 April 2007

"I'm very confident, I think we've got a great shot against anybody."

That's what Great Britain captain John Lloyd said when looking ahead to the draw for the Davis Cup World Group play-offs.

Well, that confidence will be tested by a tie against 2005 winners Croatia and the outcome may lie in the hands of Ivan Ljubicic.

The Croatian number one has said that 2007 would be his last year in the Davis Cup - Lloyd will be praying that means the defeat to Germany in February was his farewell match.

There's no doubt it's a tough draw but without Ljubicic the tie swings in GB's favour.

Britain have been a two-man team for as long as anyone can remember and certainly in terms of singles options that remains the case.

Both Andy Murray and Tim Henman have losing records against Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, but winning records against Ivo Karlovic.

Murray is improving so rapidly that come September he is unlikely to be fazed by anyone Croatia can call upon, Ljubicic included.

Henman may be heading in the other direction but he beat Ancic last time out so a point may not be beyond the British number two.

Ancic, it should be added, has won just four matches this year and is currently out with glandular fever.

He should be back next month but how long he takes to regain top form is anybody's guess.

And beyond the top two, Britain now have a proper doubles player in Jamie Murray - and another option waiting in the wings in James Auckland.

Still, Ljubicic and Ancic have built up a fine partnership and Croatia will be favourites if they are on court for the doubles.

So, guessing that Ljubicic will feel compelled to keep his nation in the World Group and play, a prediction.....

Murray to get two points in the singles, Ljubicic to get one, Croatia to win the doubles. That means Henman against Ancic in the deciding rubber.....

And all I'll predict there is five sets.

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comment by thetennisinsaniac (U7082135)

posted Apr 11, 2007

How can Murray be inconsistent, he has beaten Federer and pushed Nadal to 5 sets in Austrailia and how been beating some of the world's top players. Also he'd kick your arse jim.

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comment by Andy1073 (U1650793)

posted Apr 12, 2007

****
the worst possible draw for team GB. murray will be so worried about the thought of another humiliation from ljubicic,that it will give him a bad run of results from now till then.
****

Would you care to tell us when the first humiliation by Ljubicic was?

Was it in the Doha final this year where Ljubicic won in two tight sets?

Was it in Zagreb last year where Murray took Ljubicic to three sets in front of a home crowd?

Was it in Madrid last year when Murray beat Ljubicic in three sets.

Or (most likely) can you simply not tell the difference between Novak Djokovic and Ivan Ljubicic?

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comment by Piers Newbery - BBC Sport (U1654697)

posted Apr 12, 2007

More often than not the role of GB skipper has involved little more than writing two names on a piece of paper.

This time around, John Lloyd will really have to earn his money if GB are to beat Croatia.

The choice of venue, and more importantly surface, will be vital and he may have to decide before knowing if Ivan Ljubicic will play.

Grass must be tempting as both Andy Murray and Tim Henman like it, but facing Mario Ancic and Ivo Karlovic on anything fast could be a nightmare.

Intriguingly, Lloyd told the BBC on Wednesday that he did not rule out clay. What are your thoughts?

For now, I'm off to the new National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, I'll let you know what I find tomorrow.

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comment by PaulsTennis (U8088173)

posted Apr 12, 2007

I think I would play the tie on a hard court, this is Murray's best surface. Ancic and Karlovic would be very hard to beat on grass, though Ljubicic could be beaten on grass. Clay would be a bad decision, Ancic and Ljubicic are decent claycourters as shown by the fact that they reached the last eight and last four at the last French Open respetively.

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comment by WorpleGore (U6764470)

posted Apr 12, 2007

Oh dear oh dear, if only those cretins that name call and disrespect our best British Tennis player since Fred Perry would learn to spell "lose " and " loser" then they might have some form of credibility. What do they teach them in school these days ?

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comment by LondonYC (U7391929)

posted Apr 12, 2007

roflcakes

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comment by antykz (U8093963)

posted Apr 12, 2007

fair point jim. But thats the beauty of it...murray isnt english!

2 wins for murray no matter who he plays.
I wouldnt say no to a doubles point for GB as well. Murray brothers have good experience together, or even 2 talented doubles specialists in murray\auckland.
As for tim if he can win one it would make it all the better

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comment by jim040z (U7242159)

posted Apr 12, 2007

did i say murray was english . who got captured at dunkirk ... the 51st highland division . at least the english got away .but then they would wouldn't they .

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comment by hero (U4398202)

posted Apr 13, 2007

"dunkirk, malta, the somme,rorke,s drift.football penalty kicks .need i say more , we are a nation of losers ."

Wow, our country has failed on occasion.
World War 1, World War 2, 1966 World Cup, 2003 Rugby World Cup: more important than single battles and penalty kicks respectively.

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comment by jim040z (U7242159)

posted Apr 13, 2007

WW1 and 2 America saved the day . 1966... every match played at home , rained solid for 2 weeks , wasn't even called the world cup it was the jules rime trophy, only 12 teams took part and the germans had their food poisoned at the hotel on the day of the final.2003 rugby world cup ...erm ...so lucky the aussies got lucky against the all blacks or england would have got stuffed.i suppose you think surrendering half the royal navy to the iranian goat herders was a great result as well.

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