U.S. Stands Pat on Squad for Davis Cup Final

Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, Rick Leach and Jim Pugh were named today to the United States team that will play Australia in the Davis Cup final, and red clay was chosen as the surface for the competition.

Tom Gorman, the Davis Cup captain, picked the team, the same foursome that defeated Austria in last month’s semifinals, 3-2.

Chang, whose heroic comeback victory in the last match against Austria carried the United States to the finals, has a 3-1 career record in Davis Cup play. Agassi is 8-3 and the doubles team of Leach and Pugh is 3-0.

The matches will be played Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in the Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The announcement that clay would be the surface was significant.

The Australians had been upset over a delay in announcing the type of surface. Geoff Pollard, president of Tennis Australia, complained that the surface choice was supposed to have been announced early this month.

“The ITF (International Tennis Federation) granted the USTA an extension of seven days from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9, but the USTA has decided to take additional time,” Pollard said.

A USTA spokesman said “permission was granted by the ITF” to delay the announcement.

Construction of the courts is expected to start on Monday.