Bob Bryan faces defeat of the USA: "I don't regret my decision"

Fernando Murciego | 21 Nov 2024 | 17.29

Bob Bryan, American captain, analyzes his team's defeat. Source: Getty

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Australia and United States were heading into the third match of a tie that decided which team advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 Davis Cup. Lleyton Hewitt doesn't beat around the bush and goes with his top pair: Thompson-Ebden. On the other side, when everyone expected Krajicek-Ram, suddenly Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton appear. The result is already known; what we needed to know is why Bob Bryan, one of the greatest doubles players in the history of this sport, chose not to place his trust in the two most prepared men to face the challenge. A few minutes ago, already with the team eliminated, he gave us the answer in a press conference.

Analysis of the individual matches

"We knew we were facing a very tough team; today Australia played phenomenally, and I tip my hat to them. I'm proud of my players for giving their all on the court; it was a very close series in every way—six hours of great tennis with fantastic aspects like the atmosphere in the stands. I'm proud of Ben and his first Davis Cup match and everything he displayed there, but Kokkinakis played one of the best matches I've seen in his career, and we lost it by a hair. Taylor played as well as he has these past months; it was a clinical performance on his part."

Pivotal moment with the doubles match

"In doubles, we have great options to help the team. We have an experienced doubles team like Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, along with a great lineup in singles. It was a last-minute decision in this case, and I have no regrets. I was hoping to catch the Australians off guard, but they rose to the occasion and stepped up with a great performance in every aspect. I'm proud of how we competed; we could have won with this great team; we have the talent and capability, but we fell just short of the semifinals."

How did you make the decision?

"Between matches, we have 15 minutes to discuss the games; that's when I made the decision. Across the net were Jordan Thompson, US Open champion and Wimbledon finalist, an accomplished doubles player. There was also Matthew Ebden, an Olympic champion. Both have seen Krajicek/Ram play many times in recent years, but not so much Ben and Tommy. It was a tactical move to catch them off guard; we tried until the end, but they were tougher. They are one of the best teams in the world, and today they proved it; their performance was outstanding."

The captain's responsibility

"As a captain, one has to make tough decisions, but there was a lot of information behind this decision. We've been training here for six days, we know how everyone feels, and we know a lot about our opponents, especially those we faced. Everything here is based on analysis; you talk to other coaches, to the players—I'm fortunate to have my brother here, along with other excellent coaches. We gathered and made that decision, knowing we were walking a very fine line. As I said before, I don't regret this."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bob Bryan da la cara tras la derrota de EEUU : “No me arrepiento de mi decisión”