McEnroe Says Blake-Ginepri Davis Cup Choice Will Wait

Posted on September 5, 2005

By Richard Vach, Tennis-X.com Senior Writer

While Americans James Blake and Robby Ginepri experience break-outs at the US Open this week, U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe finds himself in the unique position of choosing between two hot players to fill his No. 2 singles spot behind Andy Roddick when the Americans face Belgium later this month.

"I'm thrilled with what both of them are doing, because they both turned the corner," McEnroe told Tennis-X. "Not so much in winning and losing but how to play, and I think the results are showing that."

Blake shocked No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal Saturday in Flushing Meadows, then later that night Ginepri outlasted the No. 29 seed and former No. 2-ranked Tommy Haas in five sets.

"I'm going to hopefully have them both (in Belgium), I've had conversations with both of them," McEnroe said. "First of all when you go on the road you like to have two guys anyway in case someone gets hurt, two guys in addition to Andy. I'd like to have them both there, I think they're going to do that, assuming everyone is healthy when all is said and done."

The choice for McEnroe isn't made any easier by Blake's and Ginepri's results on red clay, the Belgian's surface of choice -- and generally the surface of choice for any nation looking to put the U.S. at a disadvantage.

U.S. Davis Cup hopes were riding high last year when they reached the World Group final before Spain put them on clay, sapping the power of the singles duo of Roddick and Mardy Fish.

Fish is out of the equation for this year after a wrist injury while Taylor Dent, who has also had an outstanding US Open, has a game best suited to fast courts.

The U.S. was knocked into the relegation round after a first-round loss earlier in the year to Croatia.

Blake goes into the match at Belgium with an 18-20 career mark on clay, while Ginepri is an even-less impressive 2-11.

"It will be my feel based on who I think is playing better," McEnroe said of his pick for the second singles. "It will probably be a camp decision, a decision I make there. I probably wont have them play challenge matches per say because I think they are both beyond that. Basically what I said to both of them is I want you to come in with the attitude that you're going to play. This time I think they're both playing well enough, they both deserve to come in with that mentality that they don't have to prove something -- they don't have to prove anything. They're proven it this summer with how well they're doing."

While Blake's comeback has been from injury and illness, Ginepri's turn-around is a result of increased discipline and a rededication to the game.

"I can watch them play and I feel very confident in the way they play, and I couldn't say that four months ago about either one of them," McEnroe said. "Robby now is playing much more disciplined, much smarter, not going for as many winners, they are both using their speed much better, using their defense better. Robby's biggest thing on clay has been his movement, and pulling the trigger too early. Now that he's playing within himself he should be a very good claycourt player."

Besides the tough choice at hand, McEnroe is thrilled with the Americans ranked outside the Top 20 finally stepping up to put together consecutive slam wins, and throw scares into the top players.

"They both stepped up -- I hope we're going to have them and we're going to have them down the road -- this is a big match for us to get back (to the World Group)," McEnroe said. "Obviously the toughest part of my job is to tell one of these guys that they're not going to play. But this is a luxury we always haven't had."

The World Group semifinals on the weekend of Sept. 23 feature Russia at Croatia and Argentina at the  Slovak Republic.

In addition to the U.S. at Belgium, other ties in the World Group Qualifying Round for the 2006 World Group are Ecuador at Austria, Pakistan at Chile, Germany at the Czech Republic, Spain at Italy, Sweden at India, and Great Britain at Roger Federer's Switzerland.