Pat McEnroe Resigns as Davis Cup Captain

by Savannah

PATRICK McENROE RESIGNS AS UNITED STATES DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN

Longest-Tenured Captain in U.S. Davis Cup History Will Lead

Country for the Last Time at World Group Play-off in Bogota, Sept. 17-19

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., September 6, 2010 -- The USTA and Patrick McEnroe announced today that McEnroe will resign as U.S. Davis Cup captain immediately following the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off against Colombia in Bogota, September 17-19. Now in his 10th year as captain, McEnroe is the longest-tenured captain in U.S. Davis Cup history. He led the U.S. to its record 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007, its first title since 1995 -- ending the longest drought in U.S. Davis Cup history. He has compiled a 16-9 record thus far; his 16 victories are second all-time in U.S. Davis Cup history behind Tom Gorman’s 18 wins.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am resigning as Davis Cup captain, but it is a decision I felt was best for the team and myself right now,” McEnroe said. “Davis Cup is a significant time commitment and this decision will allow me to focus more energy on my family and to the USTA Player Development program”

“Patrick is the one the finest and most decorated captains in U.S. Davis Cup history,“ said Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “He leaves an indelible mark on the Davis Cup, and has always handled his captaincy with class and distinction. Patrick is and will remain a tremendous asset to U.S. tennis as he continues to lead our player development efforts.”

The U.S. will face Colombia in the World Group Play-off next week. It is the first time since 2005, and just the fifth time since the World Group was instituted in 1981, that the U.S. has had to compete in the play-off round. The U.S. is 3-1 in World Group Play-offs, having defeated Belgium on red clay in its last appearance in the World Group Play-off.

“Patrick changed the culture of Davis Cup in the United States, creating a true team environment and a sense of camaraderie that the U.S. has never before seen,” said Jim Curley, Chief Professional Tournaments Officer, USTA. “He has been a champion of the competition in every sense of the word, and elevated the stature of the event in this country.”

The World Group Play-off against Belgium in 2005 was the first of 10 consecutive U.S. Davis Cup ties that featured the lineup of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan, shattering the previous U.S. record for most consecutive ties with the same lineup. The previous record was three consecutive ties by eight different combinations.

According to the report on CBS Jim Courier is very interested in the job. No one can deny that Patrick made the US Davis Cup team into a force to be reckoned with. If it is Courier he's got big shoes to fill.

Oudin's Coach Pulls No Punches

Thanks to Savannah for alerting me to this exchange between Tom Perrotta and Melanie Oudin's coach.

Melanie was overlooked as a junior, but here she is having more success than anyone in her age group. Why is that?

Brian de Villiers: You don't want to go there with me. The problem with American tennis, number one, is they don't dream big enough, they're not sold the dream, and then they don't believe in themselves. You have dream big, and you have to aim to be the best. I think people are afraid to put themselves on the line and say, “Hey, I want to be number one.” Dream big, and then try and make your dreams come true. And that's exactly what this child is doing. She dreams big and she believes. There are a lot of talented girls out there, tons of them. But I'll leave it at that.

What are her parents like?

They're just a normal family. I've been very lucky. From day one when they dropped the kids off [Oudin's sister, Katherine, is a college-bound player], they've left me alone and never fussed with me about results, what we're working on—I've done the schedule, I do all that. Most parents, I have a lot now who still bother me at the club, come sit on the court and tell me what to do. They've never, ever done that. And she's believed in me. I sold her the dream, told her how we were going to do it, and we came up here [to the U.S. Open] when she was 12 years old and got a feel for the place and she said, “Yeah, I'm gonna be here one day. This is what I want to do.”

Did you believe there was a limit to her potential because of her small size?
No, because she's playing smarter. I'm trying to teach her to play smarter than everybody else out there. A lot of players are just bang, bang, bang. Just walk around and watch the juniors now, some of the stuff out there—not much variety.

How far is she from her peak?

She turns 18 this month. Tennis is an ongoing thing. You don't ever get to a point and say, “Now I know how to play.” It's continuous, now matter how old you are. A lot of people think, 'Boom, now I'm a player, that's it.' It doesn't work like that. Better players come along, you get pushed, different surfaces, different circumstances come up.

Has she ever had a fear of losing?

She's never had a fear of losing. Look, I've been very, very tough on that kid. I've let her have it many, many a time when she's made bad decisions out there, because that's something she can control. If she misses a shot, that's fine, but to make a bad decision through neglect and sloppiness and lack of concentration, that's the stuff that drives me nuts. I think it's helped in the long run because she adjusts out there very quickly and she figures things out.

Why does she have to lose the first set?

Just to continue to annoy me and stress me out. The girls she's playing now, this is the hardest ball she's faced. It takes a little time to adjust and get the hang of it. When you're playing at the Challengers, you don't see balls that are coming at a hundred-and-something miles an hour, you don't see serves whizzing by at 120 miles an hour. So it takes time just to adjust to the pace, to get a read on the players, and then formulate a plan in her head and get to work.

What current American tour professional not named Williams actually believes in him/herself when it matters most?

And the USTA head of player development is Patrick McEnroe?

Insular and unimaginative.