Analysis for Koubek-Blake (Davis Cup)

Head-to-head record 1:1

Austria will host USA Team on clay courts in the 1st round of Davis Cup. The home veteran Stefan Koubek will fight James Blake of USA in the second match-up. Blake played well on Australian soil in January but this is going to be totally different tennis. Blake began 2008 hoping to win his third consecutive title in Sydney. However, the defending champion bowed out in the first round, losing to Santoro in straight sets. At the Australian Open, Blake defeated Massu, his compatriot Russel, Grosjean and Cilic. In the quarterfinal, he faced Roger Federer. Despite a match well played, he fell in straight sets. But all these results were reached on the surface he likes a lot. Blake adopts an offensive baseline strategy which he achieves through his aggressive powerful forehands that are deep and flat. He undoubtedly possesses one of the strongest forehands on the tour with powerful service returns. Blake is also noted for his exceptional court coverage, speed, and athleticism. Apart from his forehand, Blake possess a relatively reliable one-handed backhand. Blake's style of play is best suited for hard courts as his flat shots tend to stay low and move quickly across the court - this approach is relatively ineffective on clay courts. He doesn’t like to play in defensive and his hit-or-miss style generates a lot of unforced errors (aside from winners). On the other hand, Koubek feels much better on slow surfaces and that’s why it is very likely that the surface prepared for this clash will be extra-slow. Koubek is left-handed, and plays with a two-handed backhand. He won three titles, two of which have come on hardcourts. Despite this, he says his favorite surface is clay. Home crowd is of a special importance in Davis Cup and we believe that experienced Koubek can make at least 1 point for Austria. Odds above 1.8 are worth taking.