Trip to Sweden for Final Will Be No Holiday for U.S.

In making the announcement Tuesday of the U.S. team for the upcoming Davis Cup final, captain Tom Gullikson made the obligatory turkey jokes about the event, held Thanksgiving weekend in Sweden. But he wasn’t kidding when he made a casual aside about the pressure on his team to win.

The U.S. should be the overwhelming favorite to claim its 32nd Davis Cup title, since it will have the services of Pete Sampras and Michael Chang, the Nos. 1 and 3 singles players in the world, along with Todd Martin and Alex O’Brien.

The best-of-five-match series will be played Nov. 28-30 on indoor carpet at the Scandavium in Goteborg.

In a conference call from New York to announce the team, Gullikson acknowledged the strength of his singles players but realistically assessed Sweden’s advantages of home ground and fervent fans.

“The Swedes are going to be tough in Sweden,” he said.

The last time the teams met in Sweden was in the 1994 semifinal, also in Goteborg. Sweden won when Sampras was forced to default because of an injury.

Gullikson called Sampras “The Six-Million Dollar Man,” a reference to his prize money this year. Sampras recently won his fourth ATP World Championship title, which alone earned him more than $1 million.

Sampras this week clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fifth consecutive season, tying Jimmy Connors’ record.

Chang advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open but has not had a dazzling late-season performance. He won both of his singles matches in the Davis Cup semifinal against Australia in September. Sweden has had to learn to do without Davis Cup stalwart Stefan Edberg, who retired. The Swedes, calling on some of the game’s emerging young stars, have named Jonas Bjorkman, Magnus Larsson, Thomas Enqvist and Nicklas Kulti.

Bjorkman has had his best year, beginning the season at No. 65 and rising to his current ranking of No. 4. His serve-and-volley style is reminiscent of Edberg’s and carried him to the U.S. Open semifinals. Larsson has beaten Sampras three times and is ranked No. 25. Enqvist is ranked No. 28.

Bjorkman and Kulti play doubles regularly and successfully.

Doubles is often a trouble spot for the Americans. O’Brien is a highly successful doubles specialist and is ranked No. 98 in singles. Sampras may be asked to play doubles with O’Brien, depending on the circumstances.

Sampras was forced into service in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russia. The team of Sampras-Martin won, enabling the U.S. to gain the title with a 3-2 victory.

This year, Martin teamed with Sampras in the semifinals. The American pair lost that match, and a weakened Martin clearly wilted in the heat and humidity at Washington. Martin had been suffering from a stomach virus during the semifinal, dramatically announcing his health status when he fainted during the draw ceremony.

That illness, combined with Martin’s prolonged absence from the tour because of injury, made him a curious choice to play the potentially decisive doubles match, especially since Jim Courier was available.

Martin, who has played in only eight tournaments this year, is ranked No. 81, Courier No. 21.

Courier was not selected for the final because he strained a leg muscle and is recuperating, Gullikson said.

The United States’ 31 Davis Cup titles are the most of any nation. Since 1980, Sweden has been in the Davis Cup final nine times, winning four titles. In that same period the United States has been in seven finals, winning five.

France defeated Sweden, 3-2, to win the 1996 title.

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Davis Cup at a Glance

* WHEN: Nov. 28-30

* WHERE: Goteborg, Sweden

* U.S. TEAM: Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Todd Martin, Alex O’Brien

* SWEDISH TEAM: Jonas Bjorkman, Magnus Larsson, Thomas Enqvist, Nicklas Kulti