MEN’S DOUBLES FINAL : Leach, Flach Add U.S. Open to List of Doubles Titles

Rick Leach and Ken Flach, who have won six Grand Slam doubles titles with other partners, won their first as a team, defeating Martin Damm and Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 6-2, Friday in the U.S. Open final.

Leach, who lives in Laguna Beach, had won three Grand Slam titles with Jim Pugh and Flach had won three with Robert Seguso.

Said Flach: “I still feel like the Olympics was probably my finest moment, but you know I haven’t won this tournament for eight years, haven’t been to the final of a Grand Slam for four years, so this confirmed to me the fact that I am still capable of playing at a top level.” Leach said winning the U.S. Open for the first time felt just as good as when he won Wimbledon and the Davis Cup final with Pugh.

Damm was supposed to get married Friday in Prague, but instead played for the doubles title. The wedding was put off until today, but Damm is not coming home empty-handed. He and partner Novacek split $100,000. Flach and Leach split $200,000.

Flach and Leach offered support for John McEnroe to replace Tom Gorman as Davis Cup captain.

“John has matured a lot as a person and there is nobody that knows more about on-court strategy, which is probably the one thing that we have lacked in a captain over the years,” Flach said. “There has been the generation gap between the player on the court and captain. Now John can bridge that gap.”

Flach said the USTA would be “foolish” not to select McEnroe.