text: The time has come! While Andrea has done a great job breaking down the World Group match-ups, I thought I’d spell out for you the specific reasons why you should set your alarm for 5AM, skip work, cancel all of your social plans, and dedicate your entire Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to the wonder that is Davis Cup.
  10. The Newcomers
  It’s been 8 years since Canada has been in the World Group. For Japan it’s been 27. In both cases the newcomers, led by youngsters Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori respectively, will be looking to prove that they belong with the big guns. Both teams have uphill battles- Japan hosts Croatia and Canada hosts France, but there’s nothing quite as exciting as fresh blood.
  Team Canada puts on their most intimidating Davis Cup faces as they await Team France.
  9. Fedmania!
  In a giant reversal of storylines, Federer is the only one of the “Big 4” playing in Davis Cup this weekend. To top it off, he’s playing in Switzerland, against a depleted but still fun-to-beat American squad, and with good buddy Stanislas Wawrinka by his side. Love him or not, it will be fun to see the Legend soak in the well-deserved adoration and play in a team atmosphere on his home turf.
  Federer and Wawrinka are sure to be full of smiles this weekend in Switzerland.
  8. Russian Roulette
  The Russian Davis Cup Team has undergone a bit of a makeover. Alex Bogomolov, Jr. is not only making his Russian debut, but he’s the team’s #1 player. Dmitry Tursnov and Igor Andreev, team mainstays, are absent while the struggling Nikolay Davydenko and the wildcard Igor Kunitsyn take their place. Mikhail Youzhny is coming off singles and doubles victories in Zagreb, but has been complaining to the press about an injured shoulder. All in all, there’s absolutely no telling what to expect from Team Russia as they travel to Jurgen Melzer’s Austria this weekend, and as always- that’s part of the fun.
  With the mismatched Russian team, it's best to be expecting the unexpected.
  7. Veterans Day
  Some players have proven time and time again that they adapt to the Davis Cup atmosphere better than others. Whether it’s Melzer leading his Austrian team, Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek becoming mental giants for the Czech Republic, or David Nalbandian discovering the game (and legs) of his youth, there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as seeing the veteran guys play their hearts out for their country.
  It's always a pleasure to watch Nalbandian wear his heart on his sleeve during Davis Cup play.
  6. The Battle of the Misfits
  One of the ties I’m most looking forward to is Spain/Kazakhstan. The Spanish Davis Cup stalwarts (Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, and Fernando Verdasco) who have dominated the team competition for the past few years are sitting out this year, paving the way for their less heralded countrymen (Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers, Legend and Former #1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Marc Lopez). Meanwhile Kazakhstan’s team is full of former Russians (Mikhail Kukushkin, Andrey Golubev, Yuri Schukin, and Evgeny Korolev) who migrated over to the neighboring country for a chance to shine. It will be fun to see all of these former “back-ups” take the stage and fight for Davis Cup glory.
  Golubev and Kukushkin will try and represent their adopted Kazakhstan well by dethroning the Spaniards this weekend.
  5. Tommy Haas
  Do I really need to explain this one? The often injured but forever adored German (when he’s not American) is back in Davis Cup action for the first time in five years! How lucky are we? Let’s just sit back and enjoy.
  We've missed you Tommy, unexplainable facial hair and all.
  4. The Other Groups
  Believe it or not, the World Group Playoffs aren’t the only Davis Cup action happening this weekend. There are some pretty crucial ties happening in “Group I” and “Group II” (don’t you dare ask me to explain what that means). Teams in action that you might be interested in are: Ukraine (Sergiy Stakhovsky! Sergei Bubka- yes, Vika’s boyfriend!) vs. Monaco, Uzbekistan (Denis Istomin- am I the only one interested in him?) vs. New Zealand, Australia (Hewitt! Tomic! You know them!) vs. China, P.R., Great Britain (Murray-less) vs. Slovak Republic (starring recent ATP Zagreb finalist Lukas Lacko). You’d be amiss if you didn’t scavenge for some (surely static) streams for the lesser-known teams this weekend too.
  Find a choppy stream to find out if Sergi Bubka, Jr.- son of pole-vault legend and boyfriend of Vika- can lead Team Ukraine to victory.
  3. The New Heroes
  Every year Davis Cup weekend, especially the first round, breeds unheralded heroes. Something about the five-set format, the team unity, and the pressure/invigoration of playing for one’s country brings out the best in some unsuspecting players. Who will it be this weekend? Could Milos lead the Canadians past the accomplished French team? Could the upstart Japanese make Davis Cup history against Croatia? Could the Swedish team find a miracle and cause the Serbian team to sweat? As cliche as it sounds, expect a new Davis Cup legend to be born.
  Maybe Andreas Seppi will grasp the spotlight and lead the ever-dramatic Italians past the Czechs.
  2. Double Trouble
  Davis Cup is the time for Doubles to shine, and this weekend is no different. This weekend we have spectacular Doubles storylines: the reunions of fan favorites Fedrinka (Federer and Wawrinka) and Bendra (Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra), the eternal mystery of who the other Bryan Brother will be (Bob Bryan is home playing father duty, so either Mardy Fish, John Isner, or Ryan Harrison will take his place alongside Mike Bryan in Switzerland), and the always delightful Davis Cup return of BerdWorm (Berdych and Stepanek). Whether you’re a fan of doubles, awkwardness, hysteria, or just misplaced volleys, Saturday will be a special day for you.
  Can Bendra (aka Benneteau and Llodra) keep the magic alive in Doubles this Saturday?
  1. The Cheerleaders
  Let’s be honest- Davis Cup really isn’t about the tennis. It’s about seeing the bromance on the benches as the fellow team members watch and frazzle along with us. Nothing is as great as seeing a good cheerleader- whether it be Roger Federer on his feet urging on Stanislas Wawrinka, Juan Carlos Ferrero fist-pumping a Nicolas Almagro winner, or John Isner and Ryan Harrison embracing when Mardy Fish gets to set point, there is no better reason to watch Davis Cup than to inspect the camaraderie on the benches.
  It's a blast to see all-star players, Champions, and macho-men be relegated to cheerleaders.
  Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Alex Bogomolov, Andreas Seppi, Andrey Golubev, Argentina, ATP, Austria, Bob Bryan, canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, Davis Cup, Denis Istomin, Dmitry Tursnov, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, France, germany, great britain, Igor Andreev, Igor Kunitsyn, italy, japan, Jim Courier, John Isner, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Julien Benneteau, Jurgen Melzer, Kazakhstan, Kei Nishikori, Lukas Lacko, marc lopez, Marcel Granollers, Mardy Fish, Michael Llodra, Mike Bryan, Mikhail Kukushkin, Mikhail Youzny, Milos Raonic, Monaco, Nicolas Almagro, Nikolay Davydenko, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Russia, Ryan Harrison, Sergei Bubka, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Slovak Republic, Spain, Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, Tennis, Tomas Berdych, Tommy Haas, Ukrain, USA, Uzbekhistan