U.S. Wants No Surprises
Pete Sampras already finished off half the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia, so why not complete the job?
The most recent Sampras-related memory from the Davis Cup is of him running around the court with an American flag at the Forum in April 2000, having won the decisive singles match against the Czech Republic, playing for a captain named McEnroe.
There will be some similarities here the next three days. Sampras will be playing for the United States, this time against Slovakia, also for a captain named McEnroe. And most likely, a flag will find its way to his hands after a singles victory despite tight security.
The McEnroe in the courtside chair has changed. Patrick McEnroe replaced his older brother John last year, and the move, in part, brought Sampras back into the Davis Cup family. Sampras, 30, said in an interview in October that he was ready to resume representing his country, realizing he needed the motivational challenge at this stage of his career.
Whether it is met against Karol Beck rather than Dominik Hrbaty is another question. Any real intrigue about this first-round match against Slovakia evaporated when Hrbaty, a French Open semifinalist in 1999, withdrew because of a foot injury and the often-troublesome Karol Kucera pulled out because of an injured back.
So, it will be Sampras and youngster Andy Roddick against Slovakia’s C squad. Sampras plays Beck in today’s opening match at the Convention Center, followed by Roddick vs. Jan Kroslak. Roddick’s injured right ankle, from two spills at the Australian Open, has responded well to time off.
“To lose Kucera and Hrbaty is a pretty big blow to them,” Sampras said. “On the other hand, these guys are going to come out here with nothing to lose. The pressure is on us. We are the heavy favorite and we just need to go out there and play well and take care of business. You can’t look ahead to the next round or to Saturday or Sunday.”
In moving toward a younger team, McEnroe has scheduled Mardy Fish to make his Davis Cup debut in Saturday’s doubles, playing with James Blake against Beck and Kroslak. McEnroe could have selected 31-year-old Todd Martin. “Mardy’s got a lot of energy and he’s an excellent doubles player,” McEnroe said. “He’s playing better and better, and at singles as well. One of the things I said when I became captain was that I wanted to get as many of the young players in the team as quickly as possible.”
The depleted Slovakian side afforded him the opportunity. Beck, 19, won a couple of rounds in a Dallas challenger event recently before losing to Chris Woodruff in straight sets.
His best result last year was reaching the final of a Russian challenger. Kroslak, 27, played in 16 events last year and did not win consecutive matches until his 15th tournament.
“We are not favored in any match,” Slovakia Coach Miloslav Mecir said. “But we can surprise in any match.”
He joked about Roddick’s recent injuries and the age of Sampras, saying: “So, we know Roddick has retired a couple of times in the past. Sampras, you also never know, so you may have two retirements in the first day or two.”
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Davis Cup
What: United States vs. Slovakia, first-round action.
Where: Convention Center, Oklahoma City.
When: Today through Sunday.
Who: Today, Pete Sampras vs. Karol Beck, Andy Roddick vs. Jan Kroslak; Saturday, James Blake-Mardy Fish vs. Beck-Kroslak; Sunday, Sampras vs. Kroslak, Roddick vs. Beck. (U.S. players listed first.)
Captains: Patrick McEnroe, Miloslav Mecir.
Surface: Indoor hard court.
TV: Today, 11 a.m., ESPN; Saturday, 1 p.m., ESPN2; Sunday, ESPN, 11 a.m.
