Davis Cup Quarter Finals: Back Canada and Kazakhstan to reach the semi finals

5Apr 2013

Davis

The Davis Cup takes centre stage this weekend with the quarter final ties being played from Friday through Sunday and tennis expert Sean Calvert selects his best bets from the four matches..

The top ranked men's players take time off from the main tour this week, but the tennis continues for some of them as it's Davis Cup quarter finals this weekend.

In the World Group it's Canada vs Italy on indoor hard in Vancouver; USA vs Serbia in Boise, Idaho on indoor hard; Argentina vs France on clay in Buenos Aires; and Kazakhstan vs Czech Republic on indoor clay in Astana.

Beginning in Vancouver then and the Canada side, who are into the last eight for the first time, have prepared a medium/fast surface for the likes of Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil and Frank Dancevic to try and serve them to victory.

Raonic has a superb record indoors and it's difficult to see Andreas Seppi and Fabio Fognini being able to handle Milos in these conditions, which gives them a mountain to climb in the doubles and other singles rubbers.

Canada can call on the services of the evergreen Daniel Nestor in the doubles, although he has lost his last three doubles rubbers on the bounce, with Pospisil (twice) and Raonic.

Expect Fognini to team up with Simone Bolelli in the doubles for Italy and if they can continue their good form in Davis Cup doubles they could make this tie close and make Pospisil or Dancevic come up with the goods in singles.

The surface is a huge plus for the Canadians though and I expect them to come through this one at a price of around 1.58.

The USA v Serbia tie could be another tight one, with Novak Djokovic pretty much guaranteeing two points for the visitors, but the hosts will probably win the doubles thanks to the Bryan brothers and then it's down to Viktor Troicki to beat either John Isner or Sam Querrey for the win.

Troicki came back from two sets down to defeat David Goffin last time out in Davis Cup and he has a 2-2 record against Querrey and 3-1 over Isner, so it could be a good opportunity for Troicki to grab a confidence boosting win.

Querrey and Isner have both been very average this season and I fancy the Serbians in this one, but 1.68 is a little short for an away side.

Another visiting side with a good chance are France, who have a 5-0 record against Argentina and the hosts are once again without Juan Martin Del Potro, while Juan Monaco has really struggled this year after a hand injury.

Clay isn't the best surface for the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra, but this Argentine team looks weak and Richard Gasquet is in good form and can be effective on clay.

For the hosts much will depend on Monaco, who is yet to win a match on tour this year, but interestingly won both of his Davis Cup rubbers a couple of months back. France should win this, but they are much too short at 1.36 and I'm actually tempted to back the home side at around 3.5.

The final tie between holders Czech Republic and Kazakhstan is an intriguing one, with talisman Tomas Berdych missing for the Czechs and Radek Stepanek playing his first competitive tennis since the Australian Open this weekend.

The hosts stunned the Czechs by defeating them in Ostrava two years ago from 1-2 down and their trio of Mikhail Kukushkin, Andrey Golubev and Evgeny Korolev can be effective on their day.

The indoor clay surface will suit them and I certainly don't fancy the chances of Lukas Rosol on it, which leaves Jan Hajek as the other singles player with Stepanek not risked in the opening singles after neck surgery in January.

Steps will probably play on the Sunday, but by then it may be too late and the hosts look good to win this one at a price of around 1.9.

Recommended Bets

Back Canada to beat Italy at 1.58

Back Kazakhstan to beat Czech Republic at 1.9