GB facing threat of early ATP Cup exit
It is only day three of tennis’s newest competition – the ATP Cup – and already Great Britain stand in danger of eviction. Friday night’s curfew-busting defeat by Bulgaria means that another defeat today, in a match due to start at 6.30am UK time, would leave Tim Henman’s men among the also-rans.
Great Britain must beat Belgium on Ken Rosewall Arena, on a day forecast to be relatively cool – only 23C – by this summer’s standards. The canopy roof above the court can keep out rain and sun, but not the scent of burning forest wafting in on the breeze to reminds us all of Australia’s ecological catastrophe.
As the nations’s firefighters battle the inferno, it feels all the more vital to celebrate those rare people who give more than they take. One such is the Bulgarian captain, Grigor Dimitrov, who claimed victory in both singles and doubles against Great Britain in a tie that finished at 2.47am.
The final moments swung this way and that like a hammock in a hurricane.
Jamie Murray should probably have sealed the deal when he held match point on his own serve in the decisive doubles rubber. But if anyone deserved their moment it is Dimitrov, who has become the standard-bearer for Sydney’s corner of the ATP Cup triangle. (The other courts in a giant tennis precinct are in Perth and Brisbane.)
Dimitrov would not even be here had Switzerland not made a late withdrawal, leaving Bulgaria to fill the gap. Then, when an injured Andy Murray joined Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka on the absentee list, Dimitrov suddenly became the most glamorous player in the city – the go-to man whenever the organisers needed a photo story for the local press. He has fulfilled these duties with good humour and plenty of charisma before returning to his primary role: captaining, coaching and mentoring his young Bulgarians.
The likes of Dimitar Kuzmanov and Alexandar Lazarov, who impressed against Great Britain despite world rankings around the 500 mark, have never been at an event like this before. But they absorb Dimitrov’s every word as he organises training, tinkers with backhand swing paths, or buys them dinner. “The best is when I looked at the boys in the team, and some of them were crying, actually,” said Dimitrov after beating Britain. “We’re here to play for those special moments.”
If Dimitrov is the Sydney poster boy, then the highest-profile performers in Brisbane and Perth are Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal respectively. Both came through testing openers in straight sets, against Kevin Anderson and Nikoloz Basilashvili respectively.
But they have not been selling the new event with the same enthusiasm.
Djokovic thinks the ATP Cup should merge with the Davis Cup into “one super World Cup event”. He added: “If the two sides get together very quickly, it can happen possibly for 2022.” Nadal was of similar mind. Asked whether a combined team competition could be the answer, he replied: “I think tennis deserves something like this.”
The most obvious drawback at present is the length of the days – both here and in November’s Davis Cup finals week in Madrid. Trying to squeeze six matches on to the same court is unrealistic. The Sunday Telegraph understands that Tennis Australia was keen to replace the third sets of singles rubbers with super tie-breaks, but the players rejected the idea.