La Costa Expected to Be Site for First-Round Davis Cup Match

The first-round 1990 Davis Cup match between the United States and Mexico will be held at the La Costa Hotel and Spa Feb. 2-4, U.S. Captain Tom Gorman said Thursday.

“That’s what I heard from the U.S. Tennis Assn.,” Gorman said from Rancho Mirage. “I don’t know when the USTA is going to make an announcement. I’ve been in touch with the USTA through the whole process.”

La Costa was the site of two previous Davis Cup matches, in 1981 (a 3-2 U.S. victory over Mexico) and 1982 (a 4-1 U.S. defeat of India). The hotel’s main tennis facility has a seating capacity of 8,000.

The San Diego Sports Arena, with tennis seating for 8,500, was the site of the 1989 quarterfinal between the United States and France last April. La Costa was asked to bid for that match but was unable to do so because the resort was booked.

Irv Grossman, promoter for the 1990 match, said he could not comment on whether it would be held at La Costa.

“There are still things to be done to make it a fact,” Grossman said.

Grossman said that the site will be resolved by Nov. 10. But he also said that he had promoted the three previous Davis Cup matches in San Diego County and that he had never been involved in one that was not played here.

“The USTA asked me if I would be interested in promoting (the Davis Cup) again,” Grossman said. “I said that I would, and I explored it immediately for, of course, where I live. I would have to satisfy the USTA in an area they would approve of.

“(La Costa) has been acceptable to the USTA, because they approved it being there before, it’s acceptable to me, and it’s acceptable to the players.”

The U.S. team defeated France, 5-0, at the Sports Arena and remained undefeated in matches played in San Diego County. The U.S. went on to lose to West Germany in the semifinals at West Germany.