Courier Talks Davis Cup, Isner & Querrey in Boise Lead Up

U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier talked about his team's upcoming tie against Serbia and on the recent rise of Sam Querrey to U.S. No. 1.

By Erik Gudris

(March 13th, 2013) -- U.S. Davis Cup captain Jim Courier spoke by phone about next month's upcoming tie between the U.S. and Serbia to be held in Boise, Idaho.

Though the official teams for both countries is still to be announced, it is expected that World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will participate for Serbia against a U.S. team made up of new U.S. No. 1 Sam Querrey, John Isner and the Bryan Brothers.

One reason for selecting Boise as the site of the quarterfinal was the city's altitude something that Courier feels will help his big serving team.

"Altitude, if you're not familiar with what it does to a tennis ball, the ball travels through the air a lot faster. This is mid-level altitude," said Courier. "This isn't super high altitude, say like a Denver. It's controllable altitude. But the ball will move through the court, bounce higher, get onto the players quicker. It's typically pretty good for an offensive player."

One thing Courier hasn't yet decided on is the court surface. With the U.S. team's recent close win over Brazil down in Jacksonville, Courier indicated that a slower court might actually prove more beneficial for his team.

"I was down in Baltimore yesterday testing a couple of different court speeds on behalf of the team actually. We're trying to find something that works for everybody. Faster courts are not great for a lot of our guys. So this court I would anticipate it being not quite as speedy as we've had at Jacksonville. But we're still working through that process. We'll get it right."

When asked about Isner's recent woes, including his opening round loss at Indian Wells last week, Courier believes time is on the American's side.

"If you follow John's pattern, he's a momentum player. Seems like when he gets one good week under his belt, he just runs for four or five months. Hopefully Miami can get that started. If it's not Miami, then hopefully it will be Boise that gets him started."

On Sam Querrey and his new position as the U.S. No. 1 come Monday, Courier believes his win in Jacksonville was a big one for the Californian.

"Well Sam had I think a pretty significant win in Jacksonville in the fifth match under a lot of pressure, playing against a player substantially lower in the rankings than him. He had a lot to lose and came up good in the end, which I think will carry him in good stead for moments like that going forward. I think it will be an exciting time for Sam. Being the No. 1 American is a great achievement. He should feel very proud of that. Hopefully that can propel him to greater things."

When asked if he thought Querrey, known for his rather low-key personality, was too nice to be the new No. 1, Courier responded. "I don't think that he's too nice to be a No. 1. I think he would just need to be a little bit more consistently hard-edged on the court to be No. 1. Trying to push him in that direction."

Courier, who played on two winning U.S. Davis Cup teams in 1992 and 1995, said he enjoys being captain now and all the effort that goes into working with the guys all year
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"I really enjoy the weeks we're all together as a team. I enjoyed those as a player. I enjoy them very much as a captain, being able to be there for the guys, trying to help them get the most out of themselves. Win or lose, we hold our heads up."

The U.S. vs. Serbia Davis Cup tie will be held April 5-7th at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho.

(Photo Credit: Paul Zimmer/Davis Cup)