When the Cups do not runneth over

Unpacking a middling US Davis Cup tie, the lopsided Laver Cup, and Taylor Townsend's offenses. Plus, love for João and loathing for Brooks Nader.

Since the US Open rush, I’ve been recovering from a not-so-fun surgery that’s left me in a lot of pain and less patience than normal for watching tennis overnight. I’m trying to remember how I watched the Asian Swing last year because I know I did, but I’m starting to suspect it was largely via replays. As full-fledged as my tennis obsession has become, sleep is one of the few non-negotiables in my life that the sport already has me negotiating a tad too much.

As a result, today’s issue is going to be a bit of a grab bag with a bias for my timezone (although I love when players are in Europe most—watching in the early morning is much preferred to staying up late, even if it seems to magically absolve me of all other AM responsibilities).