MALAGA, Spain — U.S. Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan, a renowned expert in doubles with 16 Grand Slam titles and a recent induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, faced a disappointing outcome after altering his lineup against Australia on Thursday. In a closely contested best-of-three quarterfinals that stood at 1-1, Bryan chose to replace the established pairing of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, silver medalists from the Paris Olympics, with two singles players, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton. The decision ultimately backfired, as Paul and Shelton were outperformed by Australia’s Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson, who secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory, advancing the Australians to the semifinals and leaving the U.S. team wondering about their 17-year title drought in the Davis Cup.
“We aimed to catch the Aussies off guard with our choice,” Bryan stated in defense of his strategy. “We took a chance.” However, the Australian captain, Lleyton Hewitt, revealed that the adjustment was anticipated. “To be honest, it didn’t surprise us that much,” Hewitt commented. “I’d seen them practicing earlier in the week, so we were prepared.”
The U.S. holds a record 32 Davis Cup championships, with the last victory recorded in 2007, the same year Bryan was part of the team. Since then, American men have not progressed beyond the semifinals, with their last appearance in that round occurring in 2018. Both Ebden and Thompson have prior experience capturing Grand Slam doubles titles with different partners, while Paul and Shelton, despite achieving individual success in singles with semifinals appearances in major tournaments, have limited experience playing doubles together. Prior to this match, they had only participated as a team in one ATP event, the 2023 Miami Open, where they finished with two wins and one loss in the quarterfinals.
Bryan also provided additional insights into his decision to switch up the lineup, mentioning that Ebden is more accustomed to the playing style of Krajicek and Ram—having defeated them in the men’s doubles gold medal match at the recent Paris Games—and that Shelton had already established a degree of “rhythm” after playing singles earlier that day. Unfortunately for Shelton, he lost that singles match to Thanasi Kokkinakis in a gripping three-set encounter, ending with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14), after fending off six match points while being unable to convert four of his own. Reflecting on the loss, Shelton expressed, “It’s definitely heartbreaking.”
In another match, U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz managed to level the score by defeating Alex de Minaur with a straight-set victory of 6-3, 6-4. The decision regarding the doubles lineup was made in the crucial 15 minutes that followed Fritz’s match on the indoor hard court at Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. Bryan explained the complexities that come with being a captain, revealing that “you have to make difficult choices. There’s a lot of information backing up these decisions. After days of practice, we’re aware of everyone’s condition, as well as the strengths of our opponents. It’s a detailed analysis process,” he said. “Consultations with fellow coaches and players play a pivotal role. This choice wasn’t straightforward; it was on a razor-thin edge.”
For Shelton, the match marked his first experience competing in the Davis Cup. “To lose both of my matches here stings quite a bit,” he remarked, underscoring the emotional toll of the event.