"The idea was to surprise them": Bob Bryan defends decision to pick Shelton and Paul for Davis Cup doubles

USA Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan explained his controversial last-minute decision to change the doubles lineup, which ultimately led to the team's elimination in the tournament’s quarterfinals. The former World No. 1 in doubles chose to field Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton instead of established specialists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

The USA team had a proven pair ready for the deciding match in Ram (doubles world No. 30) and Krajicek (World No. 43). Both players previously held the World No. 1 ranking and are Grand Slam champions, not to mention their silver medal performance as a team at the Olympic Games just months ago.

Entering the Davis Cup as one of the favourites for the title, the USA boasted a formidable roster: Taylor Fritz (World No. 4) as their singles leader, supported by Paul (World No. 12) and Shelton (World No. 21) as additional singles options, with Ram and Krajicek as the specialised doubles pair.

The quarterfinal clash began with a surprising upset, as Thanasi Kokkinakis (World No. 77) edged out Shelton 6-1, 4-6, 7-6[16-14] in an epic match that saw Kokkinakis save four match points. Fritz, however, kept the USA alive with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alex de Minaur (World No. 9), setting the stage for the doubles decider.

Despite the logical choice of fielding Ram and Krajicek, Bryan opted for the unusual pairing of Shelton (Double world no. 103) and Paul (unranked in doubles). The gamble failed, as Australia’s Jordan Thompson (Doubles world no. 3 in doubles) and Matthew Ebden (Doubles world no. 13) secured a straightforward 6-4, 6-4 win to eliminate the Americans.

"We had great options for doubles, but I opted for the firepower of the singles players to surprise them," USA captain Bob Bryan said after the defeat. "It was a matchup decision. I decided in the 15 minutes between the singles and doubles match. The idea was to surprise them."

Australia advanced to the semifinals, where they await the winner of the tie between Italy, led by Jannik Sinner, and Argentina, spearheaded by Sebastián Báez. The Australians could face the defending champions in a rematch of the 2023 final, provided Sinner and his team overcome their South American rivals.