Davis Cup 2011: World Group, Chile vs. USA
6th seed United States takes on Chile away from home, when the team from North America travels to Santiago to play their first round Davis Cup rubber at the Estadio Nacional. The Americans take a full-strength contingent to face their rather depleted opponents, who are without the services of former French Open Champion Fernando Gonzalez.
The home team is mainly resting its hopes on Paul Capdeville. Capdeville is ranked 165th in the world and is 27 years old. He has been playing Davis Cup tennis since 2004 and has won only 6 of his 16 matches so far; the Chilean has proved himself to be an adequate player, but not one to cause huge upsets.
The second member of the team from Chile is Jorge Aguilar. Aguilar is 26 and ranked 224th in the world. Like his compatriot, steady play is the most you can ask for from the 25-year-old.
Nicolas Massu is a name familiar to most tennis fans. While the 31 year old has long fallen from the upper echelons of tennis, he is a veteran of the tournament. This experience might well be Chile’s strongest advantage over the American side, which is immensely talented in every way. Guillermo Rivera-Aranguiz is the last member of the Chilean delegation and will be the youngest man on the pitch come match day. His inclusion seems to be based on future planning rather than immediate tactics, because there will be little impact that he can make on the court. However, he’ll gain valuable experience just with his inclusion here, and that might be exactly what Chilean officials are counting on.
The American team is a powerhouse. It features more of the world’s best players than any other team this year, save Spain. Spearheading the attack is former World no.1 and current World no.8 Andy Roddick. Roddick is well-known as one of the finest servers in the modern game and is a true champion. He has the third highest number of ATP tour titles within the active players and has held 2 grand slam trophies. Moreover, he has been an enthusiastic participant in the Davis Cup from the first time he was called on by his country. Roddick is the ace in the hole any country needs as part of their Davis cup campaign. There is little doubt that he’ll decimate his Chilean opponents here, and that’s something which will comfort his teammates immensely.
Joining Roddick this year is John Isner, the World no.32. The 25 year old has been improving his game steadily over the years and it shows. His serve is devastating, as can be expected, considering the fact that he stands at 6 feet 9 inches tall. He’s also ranked higher than any of the Chileans on the ATP rankings, and that’ll definitely give him added confidence in his particular encounters.
The last members of the American team are the legendary twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan. Widely known as the best doubles team in the world, the two are almost unbeatable on the doubles court. They’ve taken 10 Grand Slam championships over their careers and are ranked 1st on the ATP doubles World rankings. With their prowess, the doubles tie in this match up is a foregone conclusion.
America is the heavy favorite to come out on top in this rubber. Chile have almost no chance of upsetting the North Americans here, unless obviously injury hampers their campaign here.
Tags: