Dee Friedman
The first round of the Davis Cup didn’t provide a lot of surprises, at least, not compared to the other types of surprises dominating the tennis landscape. The big favorites all moved onto the quarterfinals, which will take place in July.
Last year, the UK and Belgium were long odds to win the event but ended up meeting in the final. Let’s take a look at some updated odds, and see if there isn’t a price or two worth considering now that we’re down to eight.
2016 Davis Cup Odds and Preview:
Serbia (7/4)
The Serbs were pushed to the brink in the first round, but managed to get by Kazakhstan, 3-2. Their odds have shifted downward slightly from 5/2. What makes the 2010 champs so tough is Novak Djokovic, the most dominant player in the world. Nole won twice in the opening round, though he fell in a doubles match. Viktor Troicki, a top-25 player, was just 1-1 against Kazakhstan, but provides a nice complement to Djokovic going forward.
Quarterfinal match: vs Great Britain
France (11/4)
The odds on the French are unchanged after they dominated a Milos Raonic-less Canada on clay, 5-0, in the opening round. Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all won singles matches though Tsonga’s victory came after a retirement. This is the deepest roster in the event. They are seeking their first Davis Cup victory since 2001.
Quarterfinal match: at Czech Republic
Great Britain (6/1)
In my initial preview, I said it wasn’t clear whether Andy Murray would play for Great Britain. The Scot led the UK to their first Davis Cup title in 79 attempts last year, and it seemed likely he would skip this year, like he did in 2010 and 2012. However, Murray played (a lot) in England’s 3-1 win over Japan, winning two singles matches and the doubles with his brother, Jamie. Great Britain’s odds leapt from 16/1 to 6/1 after their impressive first round showing.
Quarterfinal match: at Serbia
United States (7/1)
John Isner won two singles matches, and the Bryan brothers took care of business on the doubles court in the USA’s 3-1 victory over Australia in Melbourne. Because of that effort, and a relatively easy second round opponent in Croatia at home, the U.S. has shifted from 17/1 to 7/1. They’ll still likely be underdogs in the semis and finals if they continue to advance.
Quarterfinal match: vs. Croatia
Italy (14/1)
The Italians’ 5-0 win against Switzerland in the first round sounds impressive, but it loses some luster when you consider neither Roger Federer nor Stan Wawrinka played for the Swiss. That said, Italy advanced to host Argentina, the longest shot remaining in the bracket. If the Italians, led by Andreas Seppi, Paolo Lorenzi, and Simone Bolelli, get to the semis, they will be underdogs; but they are a juicy price right now, and it will go down if they make it to the final four.
Quarterfinal match: vs. Argentina
Betting Advice:
The winner of Great Britain and Serbia has a great shot to be in the final, facing the winner of Italy/Argentina in the semis. But which of those powerhouses will emerge is tough to call. France appears to have the easiest bracket, on the whole, and the the deepest team, though playing the Czechs on the road in the quarters is no bargain. Since the price on the French didn’t change after winning in the first round, they are still the play.
(Photo credit: globalite [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)
