Young, Sock, Querrey and Johnson to Represent U.S. in Davis Cup Against Uzbekistan
The USTA and U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier announced that world number 28 Jack Sock, world number 38 Sam Querrey, world number 47 Steve Johnson, and world number 68 Donald Young will represent the U.S. in the 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoff against Uzbekistan. The best-of-five match series will be played on an outdoor red clay court at the Olympic Tennis School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sept. 18-20.
The United States has never faced Uzbekistan in Davis Cup competition. The U.S. fell to Great Britain, 3-2, in the World Group First Round in March in Glasgow, Scotland. The U.S. holds a 214-69 overall record in Davis Cup play and 77-46 when playing on the road. The winner of this tie qualifies for the 2016 Davis Cup World Group and is eligible to compete for the Davis Cup title next year. The losing nation will compete in its respective Zone Group I competition in 2016.
Play begins at 10:00 a.m. local time (1:00 a.m.) on Friday, Sept. 18, and Sunday, Sept. 20. Play will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 19. Friday will include two singles matches featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s number two player. Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match. And the final day of play on Sunday features the two “reverse singles” matches, when the number one players square off followed by the number two players meeting each other in the final match. All matches are best-of-five sets until one nation clinches the tie. A revised schedule for Sunday may take place if a team clinches in the third or fourth match. Tennis Channel will provide live daily coverage.
Sock, 22, is ranked a career-high 28th and is making his Davis Cup debut. Sock won his first career ATP singles title this year at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, defeating Querrey in the final. He then reached the fourth round at the French Open and the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I. Also this year, Sock reached the fourth round in Indian Wells and the third round in Miami. Sock has also thrived in doubles, winning the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title and the 2015 Indian Wells crown with Vasek Pospisil and peaking at a career-high number six in the individual doubles rankings this May; he also reached the doubles quarterfinals of the French Open this year. In 2011, Sock won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title with fellow American Melanie Oudin. As a standout junior player, Sock won the 2010 US Open boys’ singles title (defeating Denis Kudla in an All-American final) and qualified for the main draw of the US Open in 2010 and 2011 by winning the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships.
Querrey, 27, is ranked 38th and will be competing in his ninth Davis Cup tie. Last year, Querrey played in both the Davis Cup first round in San Diego against Great Britain, as well as the World Group playoff in Chicago against Slovakia. He holds a 6-8 singles record in Davis Cup and made his Davis Cup debut against then-world number one Rafael Nadal on clay in Madrid in the 2008 World Group semifinal, losing in four sets. Querrey holds seven career ATP singles titles and has been ranked as high as number 17 in the world. He reached two ATP finals this year—the grass-court event in Nottingham, where he faced Istomin in the final, and the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.
Johnson, 25, is ranked 47th and also making his Davis Cup debut. Johnson peaked at a career-high 37th in the world last November after competing in all four Grand Slam events in 2014 and reaching the quarterfinals or better at five ATP events. This year, Johnson advanced to the third round of the Australian Open and French Open, losing to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka, and reached two ATP semifinals (Washington D.C. and Winston-Salem, N.C.). Johnson turned pro in 2012 after completing an outstanding college tennis career at the University of Southern California, winning the 2011 and 2012 NCAA singles championships and leading the Trojans to team titles all four years he played for the school. Johnson has had an impressive professional debut following USC. He reached the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open, becoming the first reigning NCAA champion to advance to the third round of the men’s singles since Sargis Sargisian in 1995.
Young, 26, is ranked 68th and will be making his third appearance for the U.S. Davis Cup team after competing in this year’s first round against Great Britain in Glasgow. Young advanced to the final of the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla., this year—his second ATP singles final (2011 Bangkok). Also this year, Young reached the singles semifinals and doubles final of the ATP event in Memphis and the third round in Indian Wells. Young broke into the Top 40 in February 2012 and qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.In 2011, he reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open, upsetting two Top 30 players en route. And last year, he reached the third round at both the Australian Open and French Open. Young was a standout junior player, winning the 2005 Australian Open and 2007 Wimbledon boys’ singles titles. And at age 16 years, 5 months, he became the youngest-ever year-end world junior number one in 2005.
Additionally, U.S. Captain Jim Courier announced the practice partners for the U.S. Davis Cup team—top juniors Taylor Fritz and Michael Mmoh. Fritz, 17, was the number one-ranked junior in the world this summer (the first U.S. boy since Young in 2005). He reached the French Open boys’ final this year and the boys’ semifinals at Wimbledon. Fritz was also the 2015 USTA Boys’ 18s national doubles champion (with Reilly Opelka), earning a doubles wild card into this year’s US Open. Mmoh, 17, was a 2015 French Open boys’ semifinalist and ranked third in the ITF World Junior rankings this summer. Last year, he was a Junior Davis Cup champion.
