U.S. Takes a 2-0 Lead, but It’s No Dutch Treat

As far as favorable Davis Cup scenarios in tough situations go, Jim Courier serving for the match in the fifth set was not too bad for the United States. Not that anyone would have chosen such a nail-biting scenario, but that’s what the U.S. team worked itself into Friday against the Netherlands.

In the first singles match at Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach, Andre Agassi struggled against the youngest and least experienced player on the Dutch team. Agassi beat Sjeng Schalken, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), but a player with even marginally greater experience would have dismantled the American.

Against an athletic and determined Jan Siemerink, Courier rallied for a 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory in 3 hours 24 minutes.

The U.S. takes its 2-0 lead into today’s doubles match. The reverse singles will be played Sunday. Should the U.S. win the doubles (Rick Leach and Jonathan Stark against Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh), it will advance to the Davis Cup semifinals.

After Friday’s shaky wins, U.S. captain Tom Gullikson was taking nothing for granted.

“This is my 11th Davis Cup tie, and the one thing I know for certain [is that] nothing is for certain,” he said.

A sellout crowd of 5,296 braved a stiff wind and brisk temperatures, conditions that made for less-than-stellar play at times. Agassi committed 55 unforced errors to Schalken’s 49.

Courier, 10-7 in Davis Cup play, was placed in a precarious position to gain the point for his team. Never in his career had he come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a five-set match.

“He didn’t panic. He’s got a big heart, and he’ll step up and hit the ball at the big moments in the match,” Gullikson said of Courier.

He led, 3-0, in the first set before losing five games in a row and, soon after, the set. Then Siemerink won the second set and awakened Courier, who had been struggling with his first serve. He stormed past Siemerink to win the third set.

Courier staved off a match point in the 10th game of the fourth set, and dominated the tiebreaker to win the set. He bore down in the fifth set, having tamed an errant serve that destroyed him in the first two sets.

Agassi was fortunate to win.

Both players were bothered by the wind, but the conditions affected each player differently. Schalken’s serve was severely compromised. His high toss was buffeted in the wind, and he got in only 49% of his first serves. He double-faulted 10 times, most coming at the worst times for him.

Agassi was little better, although he got in 72% of his first serves. Each player was broken eight times.

“I would have played a lot better had the conditions not been so tough,” Agassi said. “But I think I played real well in spite of the conditions. Considering the conditions, I played extremely well.”

Agassi certainly began well. He broke Schalken’s first two service games and went out to a 4-0 lead. Schalken broke Agassi in the sixth game, and the cavalcade of unforced errors ensued. The set limped along, with balls flying long and wide.

The level of play lifted in the tiebreaker. At 6-6, the best point of the match--and the longest--was played.

“I had the wind in my face,” Agassi recalled. “So, every shot I was hitting I was using every ounce of energy. I don’t remember exactly, but I am thinking it was a 30- or 40-ball rally. That was two guys trying not to make errors and ultimately playing a great, great play.”

His assessment may have been influenced by the fact that he won the point.

Agassi, who has been suffering through his worst season, said his performance Friday was encouraging.

“More than anything, it shows me exactly how tough I am to beat if I just set my mind to it at every point of the match,” Agassi said. “A match like this can definitely get me excited about converting break points and putting matches away. It could very easily be a breakthrough match for me.”