IT has seemed a world away since Spain lifted the 2019 Davis Cup. While the 2020 edition was ultimately cancelled and had to be postponed until 2021, it gives tennis fans extra time to work out what teams might look like when it recommences.

Draft Central will take a look at various nations over the break and see what the team might look like. Today’s team is Croatia, the second ranked side in the world, which might come as a surprise to many, but with an elite doubles combination and consistent singles players, they are always a threat to the big nations.

TEAM:

#24 Borna Coric
#42 Marin Cilic
#4D Mate Pavic
#8D Nikola Mektic

Croatia has had its success over the years, but it is also very restricted in what its team could look like in order to reach success. The doubles combination of Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic is the best of the bigger nations and therefore gives them a head start in the often deciding tie. However, while there are others such as Ivan Dodig and Franko Skugor who are also ranked in the Top 30 for doubles, Croatia does not have the depth in the singles.

Having won the title in 2018, Marin Cilic has been the number one singles player for a long time, holding the records of most years played (13), most ties played (26), most total wins (41) and most singles wins (31). He is an easy choice for the singles, as is Top 30 player and now top ranked Croatian, Borna Coric. The world number 24 is 24-years-old, eight years Cilic’s junior which gives the nation some confidence going forward.

Borna Gojo – a developing 22-year-old talent – was able to get a gig with Cilic in Croatia’s win against India last year, and is the natural replacement for Cilic to team up with Coric over the years. But the big issue is, after the two Top 50 players, the next highest ranked is 147th giant, 41-year-old Ivo Karlovic, and then Gojo at 221st in the world. They do not have the depth of other nations and it will hurt.

Ultimately the four players they have when fit can match it with a lot of sides, and if Cilic can win the number two singles then they are every chance to go deep. But if injuries or unavailabilities hit, then Croatia could very easily tumble down the Davis Cup world rankings.

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