When the U.S. Davis Cuppers take the court against Novak Djokovic & Co. in Serbia in the first round of World Group competition on March 5, 2010, they may just have a whole new look. For 12 of the last 14 ties, Patrick McEnroe has had the luxury of relying on the fearsome foursome of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan Bros.
But times have changed.
As the soon-to-be-30-year-old Blake continues to sputter, it’s becoming more and more likely that he’ll be replaced by the No. 25-ranked Sam Querrey (presuming he recovers from his freak forearm injury). Assuming that Serbia selects clay as its surface of choice (and who could blame them?), Querrey would be a smart choice given Blake’s aversion to dirtball tennis. The Southern Californian performed admirably against Spain on the red clay of Madrid last year, and at 6-foot-6 stands a better chance than most at catching high-bouncing topspin groundies in his wheelhouse. The Bryan Bros. — former Roland Garros champs — remain an automatic pick and will come in as favorites regardless of whom they face. While No. 48-ranked John Isner may have dismissed Roddick in five sets at the U.S. Open, he’s no mover-and-shaker on clay and likely won’t replace A-Rod on the DC roster. Plus, Roddick has beaten Djokovic in their last three head-to-heads (although none of those wins came on clay).
Another question mark surrounding the U.S. Davis Cup team is whether or not McEnroe will be back at the helm next year (although his contract runs until 2011). He certainly has his hands full at the moment with his Cup captaincy, across-the-globe TV work and his all-important slot as GM of USTA Elite Player Development. Oh yeah, and he’s also the father of three girls, including twins Juliette and Diana, who were born last year. No one would blame PMac, who’s gone 17-7 since taking over for his brother in ’01, if he walked off the job. He broke a 12-year drought and brought the Cup back to the U.S. by leading his troops to victory over Russia in Portland in ’07. In doing so, he made the annual competition matter again in the eyes of his top players, who time after time were at his beck and call. No longer did a U.S. Davis Cup captain have to go to his homegrown talent on his hands and knees, only to be told, as Andre Agassi once famously said, “If it was in my backyard, I wouldn’t walk out the back door.”
But should McEnroe step away, who would replace him? Brad Gilbert once voiced interest in the job, but may not be the people’s choice. Todd Martin might be a smart pick, but the former No. 4 is now working with, ironically, Djokovic. Jim Courier is another name that comes to mind, although he’s a busy man, too, both in the broadcast booth and as the spark behind the Outback Champions Series. Outside of a few exos here and there, Pete Sampras doesn’t like to travel. And besides, he’s never expressed interest in the position. How about Agassi? Hmmmmmmm. It’s a longshot, but you’ve got to admit, it’s an interesting proposition.
IT NOTEBOOK: Dethroning the World’s Tennis Queen
FERNANDO’S QUEST FOR THE ELITE EIGHT: Now we know why Fernando Verdasco was left off Spain’s roster for the Davis Cup semifinal against Israel. Coming off a quarterfinal showing at the U.S. Open, the world No. 9 was not only recovering from an abdominal strain, he was facing foot surgery. But the 25-year-old lefthander says he is, for the moment, shelving plans for any surgical procedures in a bid to qualify for November’s ATP World Tour Finals in London. Verdasco also has plans to play the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic in December. “I was supposed to undergo surgery on my left foot after the U.S. Open earlier,” said Verdasco. “But when I went home to Spain, my doctor told me I will need three weeks to recuperate…The doctor also told me that I can postpone the surgery as it would not affect me.”
MARTINA SPEAKS: Asked by SI.com is she ever used cocaine, Martina Hingis said, “Never. No drugs. I don’t know even the effects. I’ve maybe been in a position where I could have. But never, no. If I had ever taken cocaine, I would have said so.”
HE CAN TAKE A LICKING…:The Austrian postal service will issue a 15-centime stamp featuring 15-time Grand Slam champ Roger Federer.
YET ANOTHER COMEBACK: Argentina’s David Nalbandian, who underwent hip surgery in May, will launch his comeback at a Buenos Aires exo in December.
A RIVALRY IN THE MAKING: It’s not Agassi vs. Sampras. It’s hardly Federer vs. Nadal. But the Jelena Jankovic vs. Marion Bartoli matchup is becoming more compelling with each passing day. This summer at Stanford, Bartoli told reporters that she always looks forward to facing her Serbian foe because she “always beat Jelena.” (Which was a half-truth. At that point, the Frenchwoman held only a slight 4-3 advantage, although she had prevailed in their last three meetings.) The former No. 1 Jankovic bristled at Bartoli’s comment, and prior to facing Bartoli in the Bank of the West Classic quarters told IT, “She talks like she’s Serena Williams…She’s not my biggest rival or somebody that I look up to or am scared of,” adding on her way out of the pressroom, “Bartoli’s going to get it tomorrow.” But the next day, Bartoli won again, this time in three sets 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 to up her record to 5-3. JJ will get another crack at Bartoli when the two face off in the Toray Pan Pacific Open quarters on Thursday. Stay tuned.
YOU KNOW YOU’VE MADE IT WHEN YOU GET YOUR OWN APP: An iPhone game called “Bluetooth Wireless Tennis with Agnieszka Radwanska” is now available at Apple’s iTunes store.
TRADING PUNCHES, NOT GROUNDSTROKES: Gilles Simon, John Isner and Robby Ginepri sparred with Thai boxer/Olympic gold medalist Somjit Jongjohor during the PTT Thailand Open.
THE NUMBERS
11-1: Ratio of hours spent in the recording studio versus on the court for the Bryan Bros. during the recording of their new EP Let It Rip.
QUOTEBOOK
“It was the happiest moment in my life to watch her defeat the world’s tennis queen.” — Yu Mei-chuan, the mother of Chang Kai-chen, the No. 132-ranked Taiwanese player who knocked out No. 1 Dinara Safina in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Monday
“Jack Kramer was the single most significant figure in the history of his game.” —Frank Deford
“He was Michael Jordan AND David Stern.” — Joel Drucker on the late Jack Kramer
“He was a champion not because he came in No. 1. His life was a gift to us, and we accept in all gratitude.” – David Kramer at his father Jack’s memorial service
