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Davis Cup fever!

The first round of Davis Cup begins on February 8, with World Group action on eight fronts. Mr Ed loves Davis Cup, where there is always lots of excitement and intrigue, and there are some fine matchups this year right off the top. A quick and dirty preview and some predictions follow.

Davis Cup first round preview

Netherlands at France (Indoor clay)

The defending champions from France had to win all their 2001 ties on the road, but they get to open their defence of the "salad bowl" at home. They are forcing the Dutch, whom the French feel are averse to the clay, to play on the slippery red stuff in an indoor arena in the northeastern city of Metz. With the exception of their Davis Cup hero Escudé, the French are not showing particularly good form in singles so far this year. However, clay is Escudé's weakest surface, and Nicolas will be asked to mak e a rapid surface transition from the indoor carpet of Milan. France might need a sudden return to form on the part of Sébastien Grosjean, who was a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year but played poorly in Australia last month. It will be interesting to see if the French, who named Cédric Pioline as an alternate, again slip the veteran onto the team at the last moment to partner Australian open doubles finalist Fabrice Santoro in search of what could be the pivotal doubles point.

The Netherlands will once again trot out its own Davis Cup hero, Raemon "Mini-Sampras" Sluiter, but the bold little Sluiter is not that comfortable on clay. The Dutch will be asking for singles and doubles duty from Schalken, who is actually not too shabby on the red stuff and is in reasonably good form. The Schalken / Paul Haarhuis doubles tandem will look to avenge a one-sided loss to Pioline / Santoro in last year's Davis Cup semis.

Prediction: Schalken will make this one closer than many think. In fact, this tie has upset written all over it. 3-2 Netherlands.

Brazil at Czech Republic (Indoor Taraflex)

The Czechs have the home advantage, and are playing it to the hilt by opting for a rapid indoor surface against the clay-loving Brazilians. They are led by Jiri Novak, a quarterfinalist in Melbourne this year and a fine indoor player. The Novak / David Rikl doubles team is one of the world's best.

Without world #2 Gustavo Kuerten, who is back home recovering from a lingering hip injury, the Brazilians are in deep trouble. Fernando Meligeni is like a fish out of water indoors. The likely #2 singles player, Andre Sá, is competent on fast surfaces but clearly a notch below Novak and Bohdan Ulihrach. And without Kuerten, who is also Brazil's best doubles player, the doubles point looks like a lost cause as well.

Prediction: A cakewalk for the Czechs, 5-0.

Morocco at Spain (Indoor clay)

2000 champion Spain is expecting a tough battle. The Spaniards will align their standard squad of Juan Carlos Ferrero and either Alex Corretja or Albert Costa in singles, and Corretja / Juan Balcells in doubles. They will be supported in Zaragoza by a star cheerleader. In a very nice gesture by the Spanish squad, Anabel Medina Garrigues, the rising young Spanish player who suffered a serious knee injury at the Australian Open, has been invited to Zaragoza as a special guest of the team. Anabel has promi sed to barrack mightily for the local lads.

Nice to see the flashy Moroccans retain their place in the World Group, which they did by knocking off the Rochus brothers in Belgium in a relegation tie last year. Their leader in that tie was Younes El Aynoui, who is off to a fine start this season with a title in Doha. Hicham Arazi constitutes a very good #2 singles player, and the Arazi / Karim Alami team is not a bad option in doubles. The clay is no disadvantage to the Moroccans, who like the stuff.

Prediction: This tie could come down to a Ferrero-El Aynaoui showdown on the final day. 3-2 Spain.

Slovak Republic at U.S.A. (Indoor hard)

Pete Sampras makes his return to Davis Cup for the first time since the Boston debacle against Australia in 2000, when he threw his team in a state of utter confusion by turning up as a doubles specialist. Pete has assented to play singles this year. Sampras and Andy Roddick (if he has recovered from his ankle injury suffered in Melbourne) look like a dynamic singles pair. With Todd Martin and James Blake rounding out the field, who knows who Pat McEnroe will select as his doubles duo?

The Slovaks will probably ask for singles and doubles duty from both Dominik Hrbaty and Karol Kucera, who are far and away their best players. Hrbaty showed well in Australia, reaching the round of sixteen at the Open, and Kucera is showing signs of coming back well from injury problems that kept him out of action for much of last year. Hrbaty is the key man, as he has won 6 of his last 7 DC singles matches, but he has yet to beat either Sampras or Roddick on hard courts.

Prediction: Too much American firepower here. 4-1 U.S.A.

Switzerland at Russia (Indoor clay)

Russia has made a smart move by choosing clay to sap some of the bite from Roger Federer's big game. Both Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov should like the conditions. It will be interesting to see how Marat, who has been a bit of a disaster in Davis Cup with a 5-9 record and four straight defeats, will rebound from his disappointing showing in the Australian Open final.

The Swiss rely heavily on the excellent young Federer, who may have to be a three-point man if his team is to pull off an upset. He has done the trick before, against the U.S.A. last year. On the road and on clay, however, a repeat of the feat seems unlikely, and Roger is not likely to get much support from the slumping Marc Rosset or George Bastl, a fast court specialist. Young Michel Kratochvil, a decent clay court player, will probably be the #2 man, and is capable of a surprise or two.

Prediction: Russia will be ready for Roger, and will win 4-1.

Sweden at Great Britain (Indoor Taraflex)

It will be all Henman-Rusedski, all the time for the Brits. The star twosome should like the indoor conditions, and form a competent doubles tandem for captain Roger Taylor as well. On the minus side of the ledger, Britain does not have a glittering recent record at home: recall their disappointing losses to the U.S.A. in 1999 and to Ecuador ? yes, Ecuador ? in 2000.

For some reason unknown to me, the English media thought this was a good draw for Britain when it was announced. But with Thomas Johansson winning the Australian Open and Jonas Björkman beating Henman at the same tournament, it suddenly looks much worse! Johansson is probably at his best indoors, and we look for Jonas to be the #2 singles pick ahead of Thomas Enqvist, who has not played well this year. Doubles could be a problem, as the Swedes have not really replaced now-retired Niklas Kulti. Björkman wi ll probably be partnered by Magnus Larsson, who not exactly a dream doubles partner.

Prediction: Sweden usually feasts on teams with little depth, and that description fits the Brits, who will feel a lot of pressure at home. 3-2 Sweden.

Germany at Croatia (Indoor carpet)

Germany's chances took a nose-dive when the egotistical Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Haas refused to play this tie after the German federation made the understandable decision not to hire Tommy's personal physiotherapist at a cost of 100,000 euros for the year. This leaves Rainer Schüttler and Nicolas Kiefer as the singles players. Rainer has posted good results of late, but is not at his best indoors. Furthermore, leading a Davis Cup squad is a new experience for the little speedster. Kiefer ten ds to vanish during Davis Cup ties (3-6 career singles record). It looks like a tough start for the beginning of Michael Stich's tenure as German captain.

The bad news for Croatia is that Croatian #1 Goran Ivanisevic still seems to be resting on his Wimbledon laurels. Goran is only 17-15 since his Wimbledon title, was jeered off the court in Milan last week after abandoning in the third set against Michal Tabara, and managed to lose to Filippo Volandri of Italy (not an easy thing to do!) in his last Davis Cup tie. The good news for Croatia is that they can count on the talented young Ivan Ljubicic, who is rising fast and should be overpowering indoors.

Prediction: Tough to call, since there are quite a few imponderables on both sides. We'll go with Croatia thanks to Ljubicic, 3-2.

Australia at Argentina (Outdoor clay)

With two fine clay court players in Guillermo Cañas and Gastón Gaudio, and Juan Ignacio Chela in reserve, the Argentines look to be trouble-free in singles. They will also be looking to give their troubled nation something to smile about, so motivation should not be a problem.

In the only first round tie to be contested in the great outdoors, Australia is facing a massive uphill climb without Pat Rafter (retired, taking a break, or whatever) and Lleyton Hewitt (recovering from chicken pox). The Aussies are forced to call on Andrew Ilie and Scott Draper, which, especially on clay, is what I would call desperate. At least the good doubles squad of Wayne Arthurs / Todd Woodbridge, controversially passed over during the final against France last year, should be able to supply a po int.

Prediction: Australia should collect a point from doubles, but that's about it. 4-1 Argentina.

Enjoy the action next weekend!