Against All Odds, Advantage to U.S.

Against a backdrop of Spanish tile roofs, red-white-and-green flags and raucous chants of Me-HEE-co, Me-HEE-co, the U.S. Davis Cup team ventured into the first round of the 1990 World Group tournament Friday afternoon.

On its home court.

Some advantage. No Michael Chang, no Aaron Krickstein, no John McEnroe, no Andre Agassi and now no discernible edge in the all-important crowd-support category. The bracket read “Mexico at USA” but the racket erupting around courtside said otherwise.

At home, the Americans felt like tourists.

It was all foreign to Jay Berger, idle from the pro tour since Nov. 25 and here only because the United States’ first string said hasta luego and the second string sent out for medical help. McEnroe doesn’t do Davis Cup first-rounders anymore--Mac doesn’t answer his phone until the quarterfinals--and Agassi didn’t do much in his last Cup appearance, tanking a semifinal singles match against West Germany’s Carl Uwe-Steeb that U.S. captain Tom Gorman well remembered when he named Chang and Krickstein as his singles tandem for the tie against Mexico.

Chang is the defending French Open champion, No. 5 in the world and a gamer, but his economy-sized bone structure wouldn’t comply. A fractured hip has Chang sidelined for at least another month, and when Krickstein followed him to the disabled list with a groin pull, Gorman had to flip through his Rolodex again.

The names he dialed: Berger and Brad Gilbert.

Gilbert is ranked No. 4 in the world, which, one way or another, is a statement on the current state of tennis. His previous career highlight: U.S. Open quarterfinalist, 1987. Berger is ranked 11th, with credentials best categorized as journeyman. He came to Carlsbad in possession of three career tournament victories (Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo and Charleston--side stops all) and one Davis Cup victory (over Peru’s Pablo Arraya in 1988).

So this was the junior varsity the United States was sending up against Mexico. Replacements. Temporary help. Emergency assistance.

It turned out to be a great day for afterthoughts.

Mexico’s finest captured all of one set, the very first, while Berger was shaking off two months’ worth of rust. Jorge Lozano also led, 4-1, in the second set, but once Berger came to, the United States came through, straight through.

Berger admitted to a period of disorientation. Awakened from a planned winter’s hibernation, rushed down here after Krickstein’s name had been printed in the program and, by luck of the draw, thrown first into the fray, Berger wandered fairly aimlessly for a set and a half.

Where was he? This is not America. It couldn’t be. Not with those Spanish cheers echoing through the bleachers. Not with those six guys in the lettered T-shirts in the top row, spelling out M-E-X-I-C-O in human form.

Fifty miles north of the border, this was, at best for Berger, a neutral site.

He wound up dealing with the circumstances better than he explained them.

“I just think, coming from Mexico, the Latin attitude is a very happy attitude,” Berger said. “You know, ‘Let’s scream, let’s dance.’ I know that’s the way it is. They go to a lot of soccer games. That’s the way it is and that’s the way they’re brought up--have a good time.”

To his credit, Berger made no mention of sombreros or burritos.

International relations weren’t served by Berger. Only tennis balls. That, he eventually handled adroitly enough to close out Lozano, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. By the time Gilbert took the court for his singles match against Leonardo Lavalle, the crowd was as subdued as Mexico’s chances of advancing were to become.

Gilbert grabbed the baton and cleared three quick hurdles. The scores were 6-3, 6-1, 7-6. The result was a 2-0 U.S. advantage, setting up the doubles team of Rick Leach and Jim Pugh for today’s probable clincher.

At least Leach, who lives in Laguna Beach, and Pugh, a Palos Verdes resident, know their way around these parts.

“I think it’s pretty much a lock,” Gilbert said. “I think the boys are going to come through tomorrow. . . . Leach and Pugh are a good team. There’s been a lot of talk this week about Leach-Pugh and Flach and Seguso. They’re a good team and I think they’ll show that tomorrow.”

Gilbert was alluding to the recent flak caused by Ken Flach and Robert Seguso when Gorman replaced them with Leach and Pugh, for this round at least. The Flach and Seguso cup runneth over with envy, wounded pride eliciting boasts and claims that the United States’ best doubles team had been left at home.

But this afternoon, Leach and Pugh don’t have to be better than Flach and Seguso. They merely have to be better than Lozano and Lavalle.

If so, the United States will ride into the second round, buying Chang enough time to mend and giving McEnroe enough time to get interested.

For this patchwork collection of American fuzz-ballers, these accidental tourists, the mission will then be accomplished.