Captain McEnroe Is Reluctantly Making Plans for an African Safari

It’s not my idea of fun to go to Bolivia, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

--John McEnroe, when U.S. was relegated to zonal play after 1987 Davis Cup loss to West Germany

*

So, John, how about Zimbabwe?

John McEnroe will make his debut as Davis Cup captain Feb. 4-6 when the U.S. team travels to Zimbabwe for a first-round match.

After Thursday’s 2000 Davis Cup draw in London, McEnroe found himself talking about Andre Agassi (available for duty), Pete Sampras (receptive to duty) and . . . vaccinations.

“I’m sure that word is seeping out that our worst-case scenario has just taken place,” McEnroe said at a news conference in New York. “Not in terms of wins. In terms of a bit of a travel problem, I would call it. And a lot of needles in the arm, I think, in terms of making sure we won’t get any diseases that will hurt us in the later rounds.”

The opposition is much tougher than the rankings would suggest. Zimbabwe is led by Brother Act, Byron and Wayne Black, formerly of USC. In the latest ATP rankings, Byron is No. 77 and Wayne No. 120, although Byron has been as high as No. 22 in the world.

But the brothers are known for being particularly difficult Davis Cup opponents. Last year, they upset the heavily favored Australians, in Australia, no less. More recently, the Black brothers kept Zimbabwe in the World Group by beating Chile, 4-1.

Wayne Black beat seventh-ranked Marcelo Rios in four sets, and Byron Black did the same on the final day to clinch the match.

“This is a chance for the Black brothers--it is David versus Goliath--to go down there and beat the great United States of America,” McEnroe said.

“This a very exciting moment for Zimbabwe in a way. I will look back in five years, I will be happy that we played down [there]. At the moment, I am not happy that we are playing in Zimbabwe.”

Agassi committed to rejoining the Davis Cup during the U.S. Open, endorsing the choice of McEnroe as captain.

On Thursday, McEnroe said U.S. Open finalist Todd Martin has made himself available, and that he had a recent conversation with Sampras, who has been sidelined because of a herniated disk in his back.