MONDAY, OCTOBER 29

Mal Washington says rethink pressure component

Fred Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

In response to Matthew Cronin's view on Davis Cup pressure, I can tell you from direct cup experience that there is just as much pressure on the doubles team to win as there is on the singles players to win even with the U.S. up 2-0 after singles as was the case in Winston-Salem. If it is a live match there's a lot of pressure.

So to say that for Don and Jared, "That means no pressure, play loose, swing away and secure your place as the 2002 doubles team" just doesn't make sense. There IS pressure, you do want to stay loose IF you can, and hope that with a win you will be the team for 2002.

Don and Jared are Americas best doubles team and was the right team for Winston-Salem. Don playing in his first tie (pressure), against one the best teams in the world (pressure), with the chance to clinch or keep the tie alive for the Indians (pressure).

Don and Jared both knew that a win would go a long ways towards being the team for next year (pressure).

The doubles match is the MOST pivotal match of all. The doubles match can clinch the tie for you, keep you alive if you are down 0-2. If its 1-1 going into the doubles as was the case against the Czech Republic last year in LA, how much pressure is on the doubles team then? It just so happened that in that tie we had two horses named Pete and Andre to win the final two singles. In the last 42 Davis Cup ties the U.S. is 21-1 when they win the doubles match, that one loss was to the Aussies in Boston in 1999. But they are only 11-9 when they loose the doubles match. Tell me that isn't pressure on the doubles team even with a 2-0 lead.

And to say that there was NO way that Roddick nor Blake could loose on the final day is saying a lot. Sure, I believe they were the heavy, heavy favorites but strange things happen in D. Cup. Remember in LA last year, who would have thought that the star studded team of David Rikl, Slava Dosedel and Jiri Novak would have a 2-1 lead over the great U.S. at the LA Forum with Pete and Andre leading the charge. Expect the unexpected in D. Cup.

– Mal Washington