Climbing Off Hot Seat, U.S. Stands and Delivers

Davis Cup survival in the hothouse of Harare was an excruciating afternoon on the tennis tightrope. One slip and it was off to a dreary relegation match.

And when it ended, United States captain John McEnroe felt he had aged five years. Andre Agassi needed medical attention after vomiting on the court while staggering through a third-set tiebreaker. Teammate Chris Woodruff had to be reminded to breathe, not an easy assignment in this high-altitude city.

This was the human effort required Sunday to win this historic tie in extraordinary fashion. The United States defeated Zimbabwe, 3-2, closing out the match with two victories in the reverse singles by Agassi and Woodruff at the sweltering Sports Center.

It was only the fourth time the U.S. has rallied from a 2-1 deficit and the first time it had accomplished the feat on the opposition’s home court. Woodruff, the Davis Cup rookie, secured the win for the new captain when he defeated Wayne Black, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-4, in a 2-hour 58-minute match.

Hours earlier, an ailing Agassi kept the United States in contention with his 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Byron Black. Agassi vomited in the back of the court just before his second match point. He won it after a quick baseline exchange and then threw up again, suffering from the heat, humidity and altitude.

McEnroe, whose team will face the Czech Republic April 7-9 in Los Angeles, was playing Davis Cup the last time the U.S. rallied from a 2-1 deficit, in 1981 against Mexico. His singles match decided it in 1981, and McEnroe was asked how Sunday compared to other significant Davis Cup moments.

“I tell you this is right up there,” he said. “Everyone that was down here this week and all you folks, you have got to know it’s something different. I feel like I’m 45 right now. I’ve aged, like, five years in a week.”

Woodruff set off the American celebration when he fired an ace on his first match point. He threw his racket high in the air, nearly hitting the light standard on the ceiling of the arena’s roof.

“This is phenomenal,” McEnroe said. “This guy dug so deep, it’s scary.”

He was the first to hug Woodruff and they were embraced by the rest of the team. Judy Levering, president of the U.S. Tennis Assn., was beaming. She was the one who wandered out on her own tightrope when she selected McEnroe as captain.

“There is so much going on in my mind,” she said. “I’m thinking in a hundred different ways--for the country, for John and for the whole team.”

Woodruff recovered from a shaky debut on Friday--he lost to Bryon Black in straight sets--and likened Sunday’s atmosphere to a college match. He had his difficulties against Wayne Black too. After losing the second set in a tiebreaker and getting his serve broken early in the third, Woodruff got a full blast of the Mac intensity after he had broken Black’s serve to pull to 2-1.

“He got in my face and said, ‘This is ridiculous, you’ve got to do better than this. Let’s leave it all out there,’ ” Woodruff said. “He kind of got in my kitchen just a little bit. “

Someone’s in the kitchen with Mac.

“Colloquialism there,” Woodruff said, laughing. “He just fired me up. I kind of got the second wind and I started to breathe.”

Additionally, Wayne Black, the marathon man, finally started to wear down. He had played eight sets before reaching the final singles match. Woodruff began pounding the ball for winners and Black’s first serve became erratic, dropping to only 34% in the fourth set.

At one point, Woodruff won eight consecutive games, taking the third set and a 2-0 lead in the fourth. He won 14 of the final 15 points in the third.

Zimbabwe’s loyal drum-beating band of supporters and dancing clown mascot had been poised for an upset ever since the United States team arrived without an injured Pete Sampras and an ill Todd Martin. They chanted a familiar tune used at sporting events in Zimbabwe, roughly translated: “This meat is ready for roasting.”

The closeness of the tie led to some tense moments. On Saturday, Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe, spotted a sign among American supporters, referring to the severe energy crisis here: “Hi, Mom. Send Diesel.” Mugabe, who was sitting next to Levering, was not amused. She quit speaking to Levering and left in the fourth set of the doubles match and did not return, according to a USTA official.

Then there was McEnroe vs. Wayne Black.

Black, already bothered by McEnroe after Saturday’s doubles match, was irritated when the U.S. captain jumped up during a rally in the first set. The point was replayed.

McEnroe later explained: “I thought the point was over, I was so excited. I really had to hold back. I felt like I was going to jump out of my pants.”

Black was upset.

“They’ve got a great team full of a bunch of great guys,” he said. “I think if they don’t win the Cup, it will be largely due to McEnroe. I don’t know what he says to them. But I’m sure he put them off a little bit. If my captain was jumping around, shouting at every point, I would go crazy if my captain did something like that.”

Woodruff disagreed, calling McEnroe an asset.

“I was thinking, ‘You’ve got to do this for him.’ I’m just so happy that he was able to squeak this out and we were able to advance to the second round,” he said. “Because I knew he was probably going to take a lot of grief if we lost.”

Agassi, who was treated for nausea and cramps, watched the Woodruff match from his hotel room. “I’m so proud of this team and the way they left their hearts on the court,” he said. “I really wanted this. I’m happy for Chris and John, who believed in us the whole time. It’s going to be a sweet ride back. I’ll never forget it.”

Which is why he didn’t want to look ahead to April and the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. “The way I’m feeling, I don’t think I can name any of the players on their team,” Agassi said.

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NEXT STOP: LOS ANGELES

WHO: United States vs. Czech Republic

WHAT: Davis Cup, quarterfinals

WHEN: April 7-9

WHERE: Likely at Great Western Forum