McEnroe Joins Connors and Gilbert on U. S. Team for World Cup Tourney

John McEnroe has been selected as the third U.S. player in the World Team Cup tennis tournament at Duesseldorf in May.

The U.S. team at the May 18-24 tournament will consist of Jimmy Connors, Brad Gilbert, and McEnroe, said Ingeborg Kollbach, a spokeswoman at the Pro Sports Press Service in Neuss.

“With this super trio, the United States apparently wants to regain the cup which they last won in 1985,” Kollbach said.

That year, the United States won the cup in a dramatic final against Czechoslovakia. The 1985 U.S. team consisted of Connors, McEnroe, Robert Seguso and Ken Flach.

The first two members of the competing teams are the two highest world-ranked players from each country as of Sept. 8. They select a third and possible fourth team member for World Team Cup play.

At that time, Connors was ranked sixth and Gilbert, 12th.

McEnroe only was 20th because he took a break voluntary break from tennis from January to August last year.

“I think an essential factor for the (U.S.) team was the joint success of Connors and McEnroe two years ago in Duesseldorf,” tournament director Horst Klosterkemper said in a statement.

“The cordiality they showed to each other after the two won in the final against Czechoslovakia was quite remarkable,” Klosterkemper said.

In 1986, France won the World Team Cup in the final against Sweden.

The United States is the eighth team to enter the $750,000 tournament in 1987.

Other teams in this year’s competition are: France, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Argentina, West Germany, and Australia.

There are 23 players entered so far, and six are among the top ten in the world, Kollbach said.