By Scoop Malinowski
Status: ATP World Tour TV sports commentator. Former ATP player who won five doubles titles, achieving a career high rank of no. 28. Reached semifinals of 1998 U.S. Open mens doubles. Also semifinalist in mixed doubles at Wimbledon and Australian Open.
DOB: July 5, 1971 In: Durban, South Africa
First Tennis Memory: “Watching tennis. It’s gotta be Bjorn Borg, Borg winning that final in 1980 against McEnroe. Also, Mats Wilander beating Ivan Lendl, I think it was the final of the U.S. Open. Those two matches in particular, really sparked my interest in the game, Scoop. That’s when I really wanted to be out and hit balls all day long and be like those guys. They were my inspirations.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably winning my first doubles title (with Thomas Shimada) in Kitzbuhel, Austria (2002). The first one is the one that sticks in your memory. (Who did you beat?) We beat Alex Corretja and Lucas Arnold (76 64). We hooked together for pretty much the first time in our career and it was an instant gel. I remember the best thing about it was the ride from the airport back to Munich was about an hour and a half, it was a long way. And I knew I was going to miss the flight but the check that we won was big enough that I had credit for business class. And I paid like a $1,500 bucks for the upgrade, but it didn’t matter. I was getting to go home. I was flying first class and I just won my first tournament. The best feeling ever. (To South Africa?) I was going home to London, that’s when I was based in London, when I was still playing Scoop.”
Most Painful Moment: “Probably losing round 16 U.S. Open to Paul Haarhuis and Sandon Stolle. I was serving for the match, 5-4, 40-15. Two match points. And I remember, the team we were due to play in the quarterfinal was a team that, with all due respect, shouldn’t have been there. It was a good draw. If we won that we were already kind of looking forward to the semifinal. And I remember that first point, Sandon had a clean point-winner up the line, it was just too good. The second match point against Haarhuis – we had the longest rally ever, he was shanking returns, we were hitting volleys and I remember he hit a lob over my partner’s head and I called to my partner (Tom Barnhard) to leave it, I said ‘out.’ I could still see it now, landing on the baseline. The rally continued for another three or four shots, and we ended up losing the point, losing the match.”
“I literally couldn’t sleep for like a week. And just to compound matters, this was like the last match of the evening that was put on, because it stormed terribly that night. And I was in the shower with my head against the wall, water was pouring down on me. And I was actually peeing into the drain. I wasn’t even thinking. And then as I opened my eyes to get out of the shower, I realized that the guy was there waiting for the drug testing and I obviously emptied my testing. It was just to compound that, so I had to stay there another hour and a half before I could get out. It ended up 1 o’clock in the morning. My wife was there with our new baby, it was a bloody nightmare Scoop.”
Favorite Tournaments: “Favorite tournament when I was playing, despite that story, the U.S. Open is right up there. Love playing on the hard courts. They were always pretty quick when I was playing there. I loved playing in the wind as well. You know what it’s like in New York, it’s always a bit of a breeze. I always needed a breeze to help me out when I was serving [smiles]. I always served with the wind, of course, to get all the help I could get. And obviously was pretty successful there, made the semifinals in doubles, quarterfinals on a few occasions. So I have plenty good memories and I love the city. New York City, for me, is one of the best cities in the world. So from that point of view, it’s tough to beat.”
“Monte Carlo Country Club probably has to be one of the most picturesque venues, together with Indian Wells. I probably give the edge to Indian Wells now. Given that they’ve had the tournament as of late, and I’ve got so many friends at the tournament, we always play golf and have dinner, year after year now. So the ‘feel good factor’ is really high every time I go back to Indian Wells. Can’t wait for the tournament to roll around after the long break of Masters 1000 events from Paris to the first one at Indian Wells. I really look forward to that one.”
Of All Your Matches, Which Did You Feel At Your Best: “I played a pretty good tournament in Washington for singles one year. I think I made the fourth round there. I played a match against a young Israeli guy called Gilad Bloom and it ended up 7-6 in the third. I just remember everything sort of falling into place in that match. And to give me match point, I hit a running forehand angle passing shot that is one of those shots that is kind of etched in your memory. And I just remember the crowd erupting at the side of the court. Probably, consistently, for three hours, played some of my best tennis ever. I beat Derek Rostagno, remember him Scoop, in the fourth round there. That week, so many things went so well for me.”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Yeah, I think it was Cincinnati, I was playing I-formation, we’re playing center court, I think it was quarterfinals against the Woodies. My partner hit me in the back of the head with a serve. I literally fell straight down on the floor. Full house stadium. Obviously it hurt but you don’t want to show it. The opponents were the Woodies, my partner was Brandon Coupe. That was embarrassing. To get up and not know what to do with yourself. I was feeling a bit weird there.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Probably my doubles partner that I had the most success with, early on in my career – John-Laffnie de Jager, our current Davis Cup coach. Team Tennis coach too. My age. We grew up playing junior tennis together. It’s a funny story how we hooked up, actually, because I was playing mostly singles. What happened was, we were playing the tournament Huggy Bear (exhibition in Long Island, NY) the week before the U.S. Open. We were playing qualies, was looking for a partner to play qualies in doubles at the U.S. Open. He had just lost in Huggy Bear, didn’t really want to come down to the city and play. His doubles career was waning. I had just lost the finals of qualies to Grant Doyle, who’s coaching Ryan Harrison now. I was feeling a bit down. Anyhow, I wanted to play qualies, I had no one to play with. Five minutes before sign-in I called him up, come on, come down to play some doubles with me. We weren’t big mates at that time. He had some success in doubles where I was still starting out. And he said, ‘If it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t really come, let’s give it a go.’
“Anyway, we end up playing qualies in doubles there and we went from having to qualify to making quarterfinal at the U.S. Open. So all of a sudden, from struggling to make $20 grand in eight months, I made like $35-40 grand in a week. And that’s where things kind of started, of course, as a result, you establish a bond that kind of sticks with you forever. And we’ve always had a – we talked a lot of tennis together, pick each other’s brain. Because we see the game in a very similar sort of light. And we remain friends to this day.”
Funniest Player Encountered: “A guy called Libor Pimek. Just the way he played and the things he said were hilarious. Ask some of the older boys about Libor. Guys were playing doubles with him, when he got really tight, said, ‘Walk up to him and ask Libor where are you gonna hit the serve?’ And he said, Scoop, ‘I’m so bloody tight that just anywhere in the box.’ And he would come out with lines like that all the time. He’d keep his partner in good humor.”
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Well, there’s two Scoop, which I can’t really differentiate which I like more. Golf is right up there, love it. And also I have a really big passion for fly fishing. I love my fly fishing, just the tranquility of it. And golf is a bit like that as well. I’m a big scenery guy, I love the outdoors. Those two sports in particular provide me with a lot of joy.”
Favorite Players To Watch: “It’s funny, it’s the guy I grew up idolizing and watching as a youngster, that I kind of speak more of. I’ve been around the current guys so much and so often that I don’t idolize them like I did the Stefan Edbergs of the world, he was right up there when he was on his prime. I used to enjoy watching Patty Rafter play, I grew up playing with him. Of today’s crop, how can you not appreciate the talent of Roger Federer? I love the tenacity that Nadal brings to the court each and every day. But if you asked me one guy – probably Edberg in his day, being a serve and volleyer myself. I got the chance to have a good chat with him at Doha this year as well. He’s gotta be on there, him and Borg.”
First Famous Tennis Player You Encountered: “Probably Stefan. When I was living in London, I practiced with him once or twice as well. So that was a huge thrill for me. I love the way he carried himself on and off the court. And I loved his style of play.”
Who Do You Love Playing Tennis: “I love the fact that everything is in your own hands. Not relying on seven other teammates to perform well. If I play like s*** it’s because of me. I put in the work and could pretty much always look myself in the mirror and know that I put in the right amount of effort. I think sometimes that’s what frustrated me about doubles is towards the end of my career, I felt, even if we lost, I didn’t mind it. I didn’t mind if we lost and put in the right amount of work. But sometimes you play with guys that I felt, weren’t pulling their weight, putting in as many hours as I was. And that was frustrating.”
Favorite TV Tennis Commentators: “There’s a few guys I looked up to when I was growing up – the great Dan Maskell. John Barrett, of course, who was a legend. Gentleman who I had the privilege of meeting him as well. They’re right up there. The current guys – I enjoy to listen to Darren Cahill, I like the way he sees the game as well. Who else…the hosts, I still like Cliff Drysdale. I like the way Cliff sees the game as well. I like the way he hosts it. Has good insights and intricate knowledge of the sport. To me, I think that’s always better than having a generic commentator who does a whole lot of different sports. I want to listen to a person who has a specialty, even as a host commentator – I think you guys call them a play-by-play – somebody who knows the game inside out, who can ask the color guy good questions, thereby extracting the expert knowledge from the color guy.”
Current Car: “Toyota Corolla (silver).”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Humility. And guys who work hard. Think it’s the right combination. Probably why I like a guy like Nadal so much. And reliable as well. I’ve got a couple of mates, I’m sure you do as well, who I can call at three in the morning and if they live 100 miles from your home, they’ll just jump in the car and be there, whatever, no matter what.”
You can read more Biofiles like this at www.mrbiofile.com
Dan Markowitz · April 13, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Good interview, Scoop. Robbie must know you well, he kept calling you “Scoop.” I still didn’t get whether this guy is South African or Australian. One question, why do you ask guys what kind of car they drive? Is it a status thing or a guy and his car thing? What difference does it make?
Scoop Malinowski · April 13, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Dan, it was the first time we met, though I guess we’ve known each other not directly, for a long time. Big fan of his work as he makes the viewing experince of watching TV tennis even better. Robby is S. African, born in Durban. Yeah, about the car, I was going to do it a full out Biofile with the movies and ice cream but we didn’t have a whole ton of time, so I bailed after car. He had to go back on air. I like to ask current car, first car, first job, as it adds a nice, unpredictable element to the overall interview. You get some interesting answers. I asked Corretja his car in Miami during his Biofile and he didn’t want to say, replying “It’s personal.” Remember Manolo Santana said he drives a VW. Just like to keep the Biofiles diverse and unique. Just spoke with Bill Rodgers yesterday and he said he drives a 2005 Honda Civic )
Dan Markowitz · April 13, 2012 at 7:23 pm
That’s cool. Boston Billy a real hero of mine. When I went to work at Runner’s World Magazine in Mountain View, Ca. in 1984, Rogers was the king of the marathon. That will never happen again for a runner from Boston who went to Wesleyan College, Bill Parcells and Bill Belicheck’s alma mater, and was a little guy. It might not ever happen for an American again.
Two things I remember about Rogers were that he said the best part about being a runner was if your car broke down ten miles from where you were going, you could just get out and run. I lived by that credo for a long time. I ran everywhere, and now because of my arthritic hips, I can’t run long distance anymore. Oh Bummer.
And someone once ran with him and said he ran so softly he couldn’t even hear Bill’s footsteps.
I like Corretja’s response, none of your business.
Steve · April 13, 2012 at 9:15 pm
I’m a BIG fan of this guys’ commentating. Most of the matches on YouTube that are in English seem to have him co-commentating. With his knowledge of old-school tennis I thought he would be older. He offers great insights about the players, their coaches and the tournaments. As well as retired players. I’m gonna buy a book called A Handful of Summers on his recommendation. I read a sample chapter online and it does seem like a classic.
He’s sometimes paired with a guy named Jason Goodall who can be a little harsh and Koenig brings some niceness to that mix.
Scoop Malinowski · April 13, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Dan, that’s what they said about McEnroe when he hit the ball, you could barely hear it, his hands and touch were so soft. Bill Rodgers is like The Name of men’s marathon running, for me anyway, him and Salazar, they are the forefathers of the sport in a way. It was a great Biofile too, he is a big fan of tennis, golf and boxing, the individual sports where you can see the individual. He said he once sat on a plane next to Marvin Hagler and they talked training, he also bumped into Larry Holmes in a mall in Detroit and got a photo with the Easton Assassin. He also says he still runs regularly, as do his brother Charlie and boyhood friend Jason, the two guys he started running with in the first place. He won marathons on five continents, also ran one in Vietnam, so many cool stories. All in all it was a classic Biofile, I look forward to sharing the link soon.
Scoop Malinowski · April 13, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Steve that is one of the best books I ever read period, you must read it, it’s a legendary book. Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes. Agree about Koenig’s commentating, he’s one of the best in the business Bar None and will be for many years to come. He actually livens up the matches and makes it a more pleasurable viewing experience to listen and learn while he commentates with Jason Goodall who is also fantastic. I put Koenig and Goodall right in the class of my other favorites Patrick, John McEnroe, Cliff Drysdale, Fred Stolle, Killer Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Chris Fowler, Luke Jensen, Jimmy Arias, Jim Courier (though he rarely does it now), Chris Evert, those commentators all liven up the matches and make them more enjoyable and interesting, even if it’s a bad match.
Steve · April 14, 2012 at 1:25 am
I think the car question is a good one. It says a lot about a guy. It speaks volumes about the way they think and live.
Dan Markowitz · April 14, 2012 at 3:55 pm
I like Koenig, who is Doug Adler. He seems pompous at times. Does he have a tennis background as a pro? I mean, I like announcers with attitudes, why I like Gilbert and Arias the most of all, but sometimes Adler seems like he’s trying to be huffy just to be huffy or he just ate a bad turkey sandwich at the cafeteria.
I also wonder, who employs Koenig and the rest of this crew? Is it Tennis Channel or is TC just picking up their feed from another station since TC announcers in the US, for the most part, are Gimelstob, who I’ve been told invested in TC, Leif Shiras and the rest.
Boston Billy is a classic, but really the forefather of the marathon in the U.S. is and always will be Frank Shorter, who I think won the only U.S. Olympic gold in the marathon in 1968. Frank and Bill competed against one another, but Shorter, who still lives in Boulder, Co., I believe was the real progenitor of the sport in the U.S. Of course, Salazar was the last American-born great marathoner, even though he’s Puerto Rican or some other Hispanic nationality. Salazar ran in such a non-athletic way, though, it was almost a swaddle, while Rogers (I’m not surprised he follows other sports) ran so beautifully, and as you say, lightly.
Scoop Malinowski · April 15, 2012 at 11:58 am
Salazar is of Cuban descent (he’s got a book out called “14 Seconds”), and Bill cited Frank Shorter as one of his Running Inspirations. I’m pretty sure Robby Koenig works for the ATP Tour, also a few other networks, it’s mentioned on his wikipedia page. Adler is okay and holds his own but you can tell he doesn’t have the intricate knowledge of the game which hardcore viewers like us Dan crave to hear (Cahill, Cliff, the McEnroes, Gilbert, Stolle, Evert, Arias, Jensen, Gimelstob, etc). Tennis is a unique, complex and complicated sport compared to other sports and the best television coverage of tennis is when you have two or three commentators who have pro playing experience, discussing a match together. Though sometimes a non player like Chris Fowler can also hold his own. Some of my favorite TV sports commentating teams were the old Yankees of Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer, Fran Healy they were just magical together. Alsothe old NBC baseball of Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola together. ABC’s Monday Night Football in the 70,s (Howard Cosell could hold his own and more in any sport though, he was a former lawyer, he was also fantastic doing Battle of the Network Stars lol). Gil Clancy and Tim Ryan were excellent together on CBS’s boxing coverage in the 70s and 80s. Dick Stockton and Bill Russell were an enjoyable NBA duo for CBS too.
Andrew Miller · April 15, 2012 at 10:17 pm
I am a Koenig fan. I have the sense that he may be the heir apparent in terms of his role to Cliff Drysdale – a player with a keen sense of the role of announcer and an interest in looking at what takes place on the court rather than be distracted by opinions. Drysdale pays attention to matches (sometimes Pat McEnroe doesn’t see what’s unfolding on the court when they are paired up but Cliff Drysdale DOES see it). Same for Koenig – he is a solid announcer and real student of the game.
Makes sense – both are from South Africa. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to why the South Africans are the game’s best analysts? (and in the case of Craig Tiley, director for Tennis Australia [as a South African – he helped Illinois with the NCAA tournament and break Stanford’s death-grip on the men’s NCAAs, then fueled the rebirth of Australian tennis – see Stosur, Sam!]).
Why is South Africa so good at analyzing this sport?
Andrew Miller · April 15, 2012 at 10:26 pm
I agree with Scoop. Koenig and Goodall at #1. I like Leif Sheiras a lot – whoever he is paired with is usually a “well-called match”. Drysdale is outstanding and the Pat McEnroe-Drysdale is amusing, because when Pat McEnroe is wrong, you can even hear it in Drysdale’s voice when he is slowly persuading Pat McEnroe to pay attention to what’s going on in the match and suddenly you hear Pat McEnroe AGREEING with Drysdale.
The man knows his stuff!
Courier is also a solid announcer. I believe it helped him at Davis Cup to call a lot of matches. I can say with confidence that Courier is very fundamentally sound in his analysis, or at least he sounds like it!
On the WTA side I’m really not sure who to like. I appreciate the history that Carillo brings to the game. Chris Evert and Navratilova are too much for me, as if they are still on the court battling demons.
Sorry for being sexist here but I actually think that folks like dual-hand Luke Jensen call the matches better for the WTA side. He has an interest in coaching a female college squad and he has a sense of what’s unfolding and a way to break it to the audience.
Andrew Miller · April 15, 2012 at 10:28 pm
Actually Corina M. was good I think!
Scoop Malinowski · April 15, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Andrew, I adore all these commentators like you do, but I never have heard Patrick McEnroe sounds like he doesn’t know what’s unfolding on the court. I vividly recall many of his great commentaries, Rios vs. Agassi in Miami in 2002, “I don’t even know if he comes with a gameplan, he just sort of free wheels it…” and he was spot on in the Nadal beatdown of Federer in Miami in 2011, saying basically that Fed didn’t really show up, he didn’t compete. He was dead right, Nadal trounced Fed and many of the media after the match were wondering if Fed was actually finished, that’s how bad he looked in that loss to Nadal. Pat Mac has won a grand slam title in doubles, had a very good singles career after following his brother, one of the biggest figures in tennis history, imagine the pressure and expectations he had to overcome, every where he showed up, Hey that’s McEnroe’s kid brother. Agree though it is interesting how many of these S. Africans are such astute tennis minds and successful at TV work. Also, Ellis Ferreira is an extremely interesting player, he was #1 in the world in doubles, runs an academy now in Longboat Key, won two majors with Rick Leach. Agree, Luke Jensen is a great commentator, he makes any match mens or womens, more enjoyable and entertaining to watch. I adore Luke, he is brilliant funny and knows what it takes to be a champion in tennis.
Scoop Malinowski · April 15, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Andrew, TV tennis is in excellent hands now, there are so many talented people in the business, I can’t think of any I don’t like since Enberg retired, not that he was bad but he just wasn’t qualified to call important matches like Grand Slam SF or Fs. He lowered the event with his lack of intricate knowledge of the sport. But Enberg has a great voice and was excellent as a baseball and football play by play guy.
Scoop Malinowski · April 15, 2012 at 11:31 pm
I like Leif a lot too Andrew. He’s solid and I like his old stories. Courier is brilliant too. Love Courier. He is just a super smart guy and very articulate about tennis, also he excels in his comments as a Davis Cup captain, love his post match interviews on court after Davis Cup matches, he just seems born to be a captain, also I think his suit is a smart play too. I think he does it out of his massive respect for the Davis Cup tradition. He made Guy Forget kind of look like a hitting partner, Guy was wearing shorts, a shirt and a cap, and there’s The Rock in a business suit. At first Jim looked a little too stuff there in a suit last year in his first ties. But he pulls it off now, he is so cool sitting there doing those hand claps with a fist and an open hand. He just looks like the model of “cool.” If anyone can figure out a way to beat Spain and rally the troops and get them to believe, it’s Jim Courier.
Jerry "Oubaas' Honstein · April 16, 2012 at 12:16 am
I was fortunate to have spent a good deal of time with Robbie and John-Laffnie de Jager, both during their early singles career and later, as they competed as a formidable doubles team. I enjoyed many a match serving as their coach only to the degree I indicated at which point they should ‘break’ the opposition. Nobody had “hands” as soft as Robbie Koenig! Robbie always represents an excellent example of a person of special quality – both as a competitor and as an individual. He says he loves golf, and as one who had the pleasure of pla;ying several rounds with him on my home course in Palm Desert, CA., let me share, “He can play1” He good; even with borrowed clubs! Living in Calif., I don’t have much of an opportunity to hear him commentate very often, but when I do, I am totally enthralled by his talent. He possesses a manner that allows a deliverance indicating his knowledge and competitive experience with tennis. Thanks for sharing your article on Robbie; enjoyed it very much.
Jerry "Oubaas' Honstein · April 16, 2012 at 12:27 am
Spent lots of time with Robbie and John-Laffnie deJager, both during their early singles days, as well as during their years as a formidable doubles team. Nobody had ‘hands’ like Robbie at the net; something special to watch! Robbie says he likes golf; as one who has played several rounds with him on my home course in Palm Desert, CA., let me simply say, “Robbie can play; he good!’ Unfortunately, as I live in California, I don’t have much of an opportunity to hear Robbie commentate, but when I do, I am simply enthalled by his talent. Robbie has a a unique quality of describing the action that reflects his experience and knowledge of the game. Thank ypu for doing the article; I enjoyed it very much.
Jerry "Oubaas' Honstein · April 16, 2012 at 12:27 am
Spent lots of time with Robbie and John-Laffnie deJager, both during their early singles days, as well as during their years as a formidable doubles team. Nobody had ‘hands’ like Robbie at the net; something special to watch! Robbie says he likes golf; as one who has played several rounds with him on my home course in Palm Desert, CA., let me simply say, “Robbie can play; he good!’ Unfortunately, as I live in California, I don’t have much of an opportunity to hear Robbie commentate, but when I do, I am simply enthalled by his talent. Robbie has a a unique quality of describing the action that reflects his experience and knowledge of the game. Thank ypu for doing the article; I enjoyed it very much.
Andrew Miller · April 16, 2012 at 1:11 am
That is pretty cool you know Koenig! He is a special talent in the booth.
Scoop – I agree with you regarding Pat McEnroe’s announcing talent – he is absolutely a knowledge powerhouse and I appreciate his passion for the sport “WITH THE DROPPER!” (he says that sometimes after a good drop shot).
I think I must be confusing one match with another. It seems like it was Cliff Drysdale with Pam Shriver in the booth and Cliff was clueing into something going on in the match between Golovin and Sharapova, Miami 2006. Golovin was turning things around with a few huge shots here and there and it seems Brad Gilbert and MJ Fernandez (I think it was Mary Joe) was absolutely in the Sharapova camp and wasn’t giving an inch. This points more to Cliff’s abilities in the booth – he clearly watches the tennis and is humble enough (and confident enough in the realities of the sport – things can change on a dime!) not to pre-judge a match’s outcome.
In other words, Drysdale was way more accurate than Mary Joe on that evening and showed how good he was by not calling the match for Sharapova – he seemed to notice that Sharapova, tough as she is, was playing it safe and that Golovin began to play more confidently, and respected both players enough to let it play out and call it accordingly for the fans.
Sorry about that. I thought it was Pat McEnroe. I do hear sometimes some good natured competition in the booth between McEnroe and Drysdale. I think they are a good duo though and make matches interesting. I think Pat McEnroe, to his credit, shows no favoritism in the announcing booth. He did do this in coaching Davis Cup (I think he was an excellent Davis Cup coach), which is the tarnish on his record. But in the announcing booth, he calls a duck a duck.
Andrew Miller · April 16, 2012 at 1:13 am
Sorry it was Mary Joe and not Shriver in the booth that night in Miami. My apologies to Shriver! Mary Joe was firmly in the Sharapova camp and Golovin had to make a believer of her, while Drysdale was loyal to what was taking place on the court and not loyal to the scoreline. To me that is sound announcing.
Don’t trust the lying scoreboard.
Scoop Malinowski · April 16, 2012 at 2:07 am
Cliff is always on the ball, he is simply a master at the mike. I can never recall ever disagreeing or thinking he said something disrespectful or unfair. Same with Patrick McEnroe – I can’t ever think of a time where I thought they said something off or wrong or unfair, they just are always on the ball, match in and match out. Gimelstob is very good but I dont like that “That is FILTHEE” comment as filthy is a word that just doesn’t belong in pro tennis coverage. I vaguely remember that Maria-Golovin match, it was a great match, epic battle. Patrick McEnroe was a great US Davis Cup captain, they won the Cup in 2008 in Portland, I think he deserves a ton of credit for doing it with Roddick and Blake and the Bryans which if you think about it, is arguably not quite as strong as Fed and Wawrinka and the Swiss team this year who were ousted in the first round by Capt Courier’s crew. Berdych and Stepanek have a good shot to beat Argentina and make the finals again. Czech Republic is another underdog team doing very well. I love Davis Cup.