Monday, February 9, 2004 Davis Cup - 2004 THE GREAT CUP CHASE BEGINS WITH U.S. IN, AUSSIES OUT Wasn’t it Chief Uncas of the Mohegan tribe who declared: “White man speaks with forked tongue – but someday will be a sucker for slot machines and blackjack”? Whatever, the wise 17th century chief, who settled his people here, in the wilds along the Thames River, would find them today enriched by the aleatory arts at the Mohegan Sun Casino, which, over the weekend, was a gambling den with tennis court attached. No warpaint was detected on Andy Roddick & Co., but the U.S. Davis Cup team – including Robbie Ginepri and the Brothers Bryan -- were definitely wearing their game faces in the adjoining arena. Roulette balls rolled nearby, tennis balls bounced and Americans flew past Austrians, 5-0, as the Great Cup Chase for 2004 got under way here, and at seven other locations across the globe. As known by anyone who has followed this most intriguing, intense, high-pressured, unpredictable form of tennis -- Davis Cup – it’s as much of a craps shoot as the dice games that weren’t far removed from the matches at Mohegan. Before the weekend was over, cutting the World Group field in half, to eight nations, defending champion Australia plus one other seed, Russia, were gone. Champs in 2002, the Russians fell to neighbor Belarus, 3-2. Marat Safin, The Story at the Australian Open as long-shot finalist after 27 sets, was still weary 5 days later, after much flying, in Minsk, losing another drainer (4 hours 3 minutes), to massive-serving Max Mirnyi, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 4-6, 11-9, on a service break in the closing game. After a doubles win, Marat had nothing left for the third day and the decisive singles. Stand-in Misha Youzhny wasn’t up to his brilliance of the 2002 final when he won the Cup in 5 sets over France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu. Seeming as brief as an Elizabeth Taylor marriage, the Aussies’ reign – 70 days to be exact -- was cut short in Adelaide, 4-1, by Sweden, underrated but cleverly captained by Hall of Famer Mats Wilander. Pity the poor giant, Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis. A national treasure only 70 days before when he out-gutted Juan Carlos Ferrero in 5 sets to clinch the Cup finale over Spain, he has been fitted for the goat’s horns and a dunce cap labeled UGH (Unfulfilled Great Hopes). No hail for the conquered hero. Anything but. Mark (sometimes called “Silly-poussis” by journalistic detractors), was lambasted by the Aussie press, and comrades such as former Wimbledon champ Pat Cash, on losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to teeny Hicham Arazi. But that was nothing compared to the firestorm he attracted by losing twice in the first round series – making it 0-9 in sets for his last 3 starts. Flatter than the pre-Columbian world, Mark lost, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, to Thomas Enqvist, and the clincher (for the other side this time), 7-5, 6-2, 6-2, to Jonas Bjorkman. Folks easily forget that the frequently injured Philippoussis made it possible for the Aussies to win the latest of their 28 Cups: clinching in 1999 against France (Cedric Pioline, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, on clay in Nice), and then against Spain’s higher ranked Ferrero. Mark said he felt imprisoned in the twilight zone. “In 70 days…one day a hero…the next day everybody is jumping on me. I’m as low as you can get. But not the lowest – which is probably dead.” Like his country’s bid to keep the Cup. Nowhere does Davis Cup mean more than Australia. This feeling was kindled in 1939 when a couple of guys named Adrian Quist and John Bromwich, hours after World War II was born, not only beat the U.S., 3-2, in the final at Philadelphia but did it from 0-2 down – the only time that has ever happened. There was that lonely island of about 3-million inhabitants winning the world championship, and national pride in a sports-cuckoo nation expanded understandably, and kept expanding. After the war the Aussies became dominant for a long while, usually facing the U.S. in the finals, winning 15 Cups between 1950 and 1967 (12-3 over the Yanks during that stretch). They were the Down Under-takers: a great production line bearing Hall of Fame names Frank Sedgman, Ken McGregor, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Merv Rose, Mal Anderson, Ashley Cooper, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Neale Fraser, Fred Stolle, John Newcombe, Tony Roche. With Lleyton Hewitt, Philippoussis and an excellent doubles pair, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs, in the lineup, the Aussies’ 2004 campaign looked very bright. After beating Sweden they’d have the U.S. at home in April and Argentina at home in the September semis. If they were learning enough Spanish to cuss the Argentines who beat them in Buenos Aires two years ago – forget it. Sweden, maneuvering smartly, got in the way – huge. A huge crash for Capt. John Fitzgerald’s lads, and a huge break for U.S. Capt. Patrick McEnroe’s. Eager plans were being made for a U.S. quarter-final in Sydney, the first significant American visit since the 1986 quarter-final won by the homeboys in Brisbane. It would have been a rough journey for the Yanks, to play 5 days after completion of the Nasdaq-100 at Key Biscayne. However…that’s Davis Cup. Capt. Wilander, who on the court helped Sweden win 3 Cups (1984-85, 87) had a shrewd game plan. He sacrificed 19-year-old rookie Rob Soderling to Hewitt the first day, and coaxed a fine performance out of the struggling Enqvist, a month prior to Thomas’s 30th birthday, to continue the deflation of Philippoussis. It was 1-1. Doubles would be critical, and the brand-new linking of the canny Jonas Bjorkman with 21-year-old Joachim Johansson (boyfriend of Hewitt’s sister, Jaslyn) made the difference. It took 4 1⁄2 hours, but, startlingly the Swedes beat won, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 2-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, over Arthurs and Woodbridge, 32, in his 13th Cup campaign, and just as canny as Bjorkman, otherwise Todd’s partner on the circuit. Then Wilander substituted Bjorkman, who will be 31 next month, for Soderling to deliver the devastating blow to Philippoussis. Which means the Swedes will come to the United States Easter weekend, April 9-11, the hosts hoping not to lay an Aussie-brand (emu?) egg. The unknown site is currently being peddled by the USTA that hit a $ 112,000 jackpot (site fee) from the Mohegan Casino. Despite Mohegan’s dazzling phantasmagorical architecture – waterfalls and mountains within the 34 story glass-walled teepee – as well as an excellent arena and vast array of restaurants, shops and attractions other than gaming tables, there were some objection to its selection. Hall of Famer Ted Schroeder, a strong factor in 4 U.S. Cup wins immediately following World War II, chastised the USTA for “showcasing its national team in a gambling casino. Is this a message that an organization dedicated to promoting youth and family recreation should send.” I think Ted has a valid point to be considered in the future. My choice for the Sweden site would be Crandon Park on Key Biscayne as a follow-up to the Nasdaq-100. No travel necessary for the two teams, and probably the best place to watch tennis in the U.S. As for the U.S. team, there seemed little danger in the presence of Austria, but Capt. P-Mac (or Patty-Mac) as his guys call him, knew how the Aussie leader Fitzgerald felt and was properly wary. In his fourth captaincy year, he remembers his unsettling first round losses at Switzerland in 2001 and Croatia last year. But there were some desperate moments at the outset, and a fan from Marietta, Ga., Nancy Ginepri, whewed, “I don’t know how I lived through it!” Of course you understand, on learning that she is the mother of rookie Robbie Ginepri, whose debut was historic. No new boy in U.S. Cup history, dating back to 1900, had ever risen from the crevasse 2 sets deep to win. Novitiate’s jitters are a Cup staple. (Remember Pete Sampras’s introduction to Cup pressures and whim-whams in 1991 when he was overwhelmed in the final by French lefties Henri Leconte and Guy Forget?) Even the greatest, Rod Laver, wasn’t immune. The “Rocket” stumbled in his 1959 bow, losing to Mexican Mario Llamas, but he did help Australia win the Cup later on that year. The only players I’ve watched defying the gagging tradition were John McEnroe in 1978, beating both John Lloyd and Buster Mottram in the final round victory over Great Britain, and Lleyton Hewitt knocking off American Todd Martin in their 1999 quarter-final. Ginepri had his gulps against slick volleying lefty Jurgen Melzer, blowing a 3-0 lead, then a set point in the first, but firmed up his rocking groundies from 2-2 in the third to win driving, as it’s said at the race track, 6-7 (6-8), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. After that the Austrians had no play. “Speedometer Man” Roddick came on to riddle another lefty, Stefan Koubek, with 19 aces and 13 service winners, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. He lit up the crowd of 5,143 and burned Koubek in the eighth game with a winning serve of 150 MPH – the record. “A buck-fifty,” he called it, but correctly lauded teammate Robbie: “Anything I did paled before his comeback.” That typifies the esprit of this team, possibly the closest-knitted American fraternity since the 1968 through 1972 Cup winners under the leadership of Donald Dell (’68-69), Ed Turville (’70-71), Dennis Ralston (’72), anchored by Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith and Bob Lutz. The present buddyship includes those who didn’t make the lineup: James Blake, Mardy Fish and Taylor Dent – altogether a dedicated seven. Fish, who scored the must-win over Karol Kucera to make sure his team didn’t fall out of the World Group in Slovakia last September, showed up anyway, though beaten out this time by 21-year-old Ginepri. “I wanted to cheer for my guys,” he says. “We like each other, and are dedicated to winning the Cup after all these years” [since 1995] “and we can,” says Roddick. He had shared a tie for the record at 149 MPH with Greg Rusedski. Actually Andy shattered it at the Aussie Open with a 155 MPH thunderbolt, caught by a more sophisticated speed gun utilized by ESPN. However, the tournament management insisted that only figures from IBM’s outmoded equipment be announced. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and upgraded methods? Settling the U.S. win with the third point were the planet’s best, the identical intimidators Mike and Bob Bryan, who wouldn’t let Justin Knowle and Melzer, two lefties, do anything right, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. The twins were overdue in getting their first chance against Slovakia. Prior to them and since the last U.S. Cup nine years ago, American doubles pairs had performed like Abbott and Costello doing a “Who’s on worst?” routine. Between 1995 and Slovakia ’03 the U.S. mark in doubles was 7-13. “The Bryans have solved that problem,” says Capt. McEnroe, who should have used them sooner. No need for the cry “Brother, wherefore art thou?” When Mike isn’t there, Bob is, and vice versa. They fill more holes than a dental clinic. Lefty Bob was proud of a personal record: a 139 MPH ace. “Whoa, that was my best. Blows my mind.” With lefty Bob stationed in the right court they plug the middle with two forehands. At 6-foot-5 they have the reach to protect the alleys as well, and discourage lobbing. Their serves are whizbang, but after 77 minutes Mike was broken to 4-4 in the third. “I missed a forehand volley. I do that about once a year,” laughs Mike. So startled to be at 4-4 were the Austrians that Knowle double faulted twice and lost his serve at love. Whereupon Bob served it out, closing with one of his seven service winners, complementing five aces. High-spirited and “excited” to be in the U.S. mix, the Bryans have had their brown eyes on the job since they were 6 and winning the first tournament they entered, a 10-and-under event at Westlake, Calif., near hometown Camarillo. “We’ve been together 24/7 all our lives. We can basically read each other’s mind,” says Mike. “Key to doubles is communication, and after thousands of matches together we communicate better than most teams. We are never going to give up on each other. He’s not going to dump me, and I’m not going to dump him. Sometimes we go back to the room and box it out, too. That spices it up a little bit.” Bob says, “This feels great to have a day dedicated to you and doubles. Doubles doesn’t get the spotlight. We’re on TV maybe five times a year, and ESPN is a huge stage. We want to get out there and show some excitement.” And they sure do. Grateful to the Swedes, the Americans won’t have any trouble going on the warpath against them. If Patty-Mac’s young men get past that one, either Argentina or Belarus will await. An Argentine conflict would take place on turgid clay in Buenos Aires. On the other side of the draw, Spain barely got past Czech Republic, 3-2, with “El Nino,” 18-year old lefty Rafael Nadal getting the decider over Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, on the road in Brno. A very good win, considering that the varsity – Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya – were benched with injuries. “I believe we have a team that can win it all,” says McEnroe, nevertheless realizing that champagne swilling from the venerable crock is a long way off. Ask the Aussies, who hadn’t counted on going dry so soon. But that’s Davis Cup. As the cliché goes, many a slip between the Cup and the lip. <<<Back