Davis Cup Final 2013

[Murat B.]

Stepanek said Obradović's decision not to play Djokovic in the doubles is like "leaving your Ferrari in the garage."

I can't say I disagree. Was there a reason Novak didn't play the doubles rubber?

The only reason I can think of is maybe he did not want to push him for 3 days in a row, after a pretty hard fought season end.

 

[Moxie]

Stepanek said Obradović's decision not to play Djokovic in the doubles is like "leaving your Ferrari in the garage."

I can't say I disagree. Was there a reason Novak didn't play the doubles rubber?

The only reason I can think of is maybe he did not want to push him for 3 days in a row, after a pretty hard fought season end.

You have to think that if Djokovic thought he could have made the difference, he would have played the doubles. And I believe he must be gassed. The Czechs threw in their A-team at doubles, so there's no saying Serbia would have won the doubles, anyway. Maybe you say, throw everything at the win, but do you wreck Novak for early 2014? Without their 2nd-tier players, Serbia's choices were no-win. For whatever they mean in the singles world, in Davis Cup, Berdych-Stepanek are a formidable combo. Djokovic had no wing-man.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Zimonjic is a classic doubles player who has held no. 1 ranking and has many doubles slam
wins to his credit. His most productive partnership was when he was playing with Zimonjic.
These days, he has gone off the radar little bit, but I think it is due to inability to forge a
good partnership.

If Djokovic and Zimonjic have played doubles together, they definitely would have
given a run for the money for Berdych and Stepanek. That would have been a tough
match with either team having a chance to win.

They should have tried. I don't know why they did not.

 

[uchickenvn]

Zimonjic is a classic doubles player who has held no. 1 ranking and has many doubles slam
wins to his credit. His most productive partnership was when he was playing with Zimonjic.
These days, he has gone off the radar little bit, but I think it is due to inability to forge a
good partnership.

If Djokovic and Zimonjic have played doubles together, they definitely would have
given a run for the money for Berdych and Stepanek. That would have been a tough
match with either team having a chance to win.

They should have tried. I don't know why they did not.

Agree. I am not sure if Djokovic could have won the double but he could make a different.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Stepanek said Obradović's decision not to play Djokovic in the doubles is like "leaving your Ferrari in the garage."

I can't say I disagree. Was there a reason Novak didn't play the doubles rubber?

The only reason I can think of is maybe he did not want to push him for 3 days in a row, after a pretty hard fought season end.

You have to think that if Djokovic thought he could have made the difference, he would have played the doubles. And I believe he must be gassed. The Czechs threw in their A-team at doubles, so there's no saying Serbia would have won the doubles, anyway. Maybe you say, throw everything at the win, but do you wreck Novak for early 2014? Without their 2nd-tier players, Serbia's choices were no-win. For whatever they mean in the singles world, in Davis Cup, Berdych-Stepanek are a formidable combo. Djokovic had no wing-man.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-djokovic-davis-cup-final-doubles-141739551--ten.html

Djokovic asked to be left out of the doubles match. He didn't have the energy.

 

[DarthFed]

I don't think an extra doubles match would hurt Nole come early 2014. Maybe it'd have hurt his chances the next day in singles but overall their best chance was to throw him in there given the fact that everyone knew the doubles match would decide the winner.

 

[herios]

Good for Tomas and Radek. Incentive for the old guys to not hang up the racket even at 34, you can still go as strong.
Novak is not a seasoned doubles player, it would not have made a difference. You need someone who trains doubles at least in such a match.

 

[Front242]

As much as Zimonjic has had great doubles results in the past, he's often been poor in DC ties. Bozoljac was by far the better player yesterday. I'd actually have preferred to see Rosol and Bozoljac play doubles and reckon they'd have had a better chance, especially with Rosol's big serve. Stepanek was class yesterday though and it's great to have won a major tournament again at his age. Even better that he was the winning player this year and last.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Under normal circumstances, I definitely feel Djokovic should have played (had he possessed the energy). It's not just about how good of a doubles player you are. In this situation, it's about experience and leadership. He certainly would have been beneficial.

 

[isabelle]

Congrats to Birdie and Co, Argies should take some lessons from them : they seem to get along very well, that's the key to win a team competition