To Play or Not to Play Now Is Question for McEnroe

We all knew John McEnroe would say some strange things along the winding road of Davis Cup.

Stress happens.

Before the first round, the new U.S. captain questioned the integrity of Pete Sampras after he’d pulled up injured with a torn hip muscle, and then McEnroe speculated about the intentions of doctors who treated Sampras in Australia.

Then McEnroe unleashed some bizarre conspiracy theories involving the chair umpires in Zimbabwe. Most recently, there was the blame game in the quarterfinals, particularly when the Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead at the Great Western Forum. He called his players “spoiled” and ripped the media. (Good thing McEnroe wasn’t aware that not all of Sunday’s reverse singles appeared live on TV.)

This was all bound to happen and almost everyone knew it.

What hasn’t happened, however, is the most surprising development of McEnroe’s short tenure. Veteran Mac watchers predicted he would put himself in the lineup, starting with doubles. After all, he was ripping the doubles players on the ATP tour, saying he was better than most of them.

It hasn’t happened. Not yet, at least.

McEnroe has shown amazing diplomacy in this regard. On a recent conference call, he was asked about playing doubles against Spain in the semifinals, July 21-23. The door was cracked open but McEnroe declined to slip through it.

His reluctance has been understandable. He didn’t want to anger Andre Agassi and Sampras or upstage doubles specialists, Jared Palmer, Alex O’Brien and Rick Leach.

Now, there is one question: Why not?

McEnroe couldn’t do much worse. Leach and O’Brien lost to Zimbabwe in five sets, making a hero of the relatively unknown Kevin Ullyett, and O’Brien and Palmer were swept in straight sets by the Czechs’ Jiri Novak and David Rikl.

McEnroe could use McEnroe against Spain. If anything, the Spaniards have struggled more than the United States in Davis Cup doubles, still searching for a solid combination. Because the match will be in Spain on clay, possibly in Barcelona, the United States is considered the underdog.

“I sort of look at is as a 50-50 shot,” McEnroe said. “I would call it a coin flip.”

McEnroe could select a team of Agassi, Sampras, Todd Martin and himself. Martin has a 30-4 lifetime record against Spaniards, according to the ATP, and won a prestigious clay-court event in 1998 at Barcelona.

McEnroe could play doubles with Sampras or Martin. Sampras could play singles the first day, and then doubles, and Martin could step in on the final day, if necessary.

With McEnroe showing some reluctance to put himself in the lineup, a trial run is in order. He could accept a wild-card spot with Sampras in a clay-court event. That move would certainly increase interest in the ATP tour, as well as the Davis Cup, giving a big boost to a sport needing revival.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Czech Republic captain Jan Kukal on McEnroe: “I think John McEnroe is going to be probably the best captain ever for U.S., but he still doesn’t have enough experience. It’s only his second match. . . . But this is not easy job because, at the beginning, when I was coaching, I was also playing every point with them. You cannot do that as captain. You have to relax in between points. This is what he [McEnroe] cannot do now.”

McEnroe on Kukal: “Tell him thanks for the advice. I would recommend he work out a little harder.”

LAST MAC ADD

After the clinching quarterfinal match, Sampras had some fun with McEnroe. McEnroe was asked a question, and the first word of the question was “seriously.”

McEnroe: “Seriously? I was serious.”

Sampras broke in, subtly imitating McEnroe, saying, “You cannot be serious.”

LOCALLY

Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil has entered the Mercedes-Benz Cup at UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center, July 24-30, joining No. 1-ranked Agassi as an early entry. It could be another tough turnaround for Agassi, expected to be playing for the United States in the Davis Cup semifinals at Spain.

Kuerten will be representing Brazil in the semifinals at Australia, July 14-16.

Because of the scheduling difficulties, last year’s winner, Sampras, said he is not planning to play at UCLA.

At least 16 Grand Slam champions and former Ojai participants will return there to celebrate the 100th tournament, April 27-30. Among those scheduled to appear are Jack Kramer, Ted Schroeder, Dodo Cheney, Alex Olmedo, Gene Mako, Bob Falkenburg, Dennis Ralston and Louise Brough Clapp, according to organizers.

Paul Annacone, Sampras’ coach, and Jill Smoller have joined Artists Management Group’s sports division.