AUSTRALIAN OPEN BOY'S CHAMP STEPS UP

Still a bit Young: Ginepri dusts donald in debut
Why Agassi returned to Davis Cup, part II

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Ron Angle/Courtesy of SAP Open

Donald Young found out how the big boys play in his ATP Tour debut in San Jose.

FROM THE SAP OPEN IN SAN JOSE – Donald Young got a dose of cold reality splashed on him in his ATP debut on Monday, when he attempted to play a he-man's game with Robby Ginepri and fell 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the SAP Open.

As his USTA coach, Mike Sell, said after the match, Donald was overtaken by the occasion and tried to muscle up on balls way too often. He showed terrific speed, soft hands and a consistent baseline attack, but his serve and return are not tour level yet. He decided to go for broke when he should have employed more angles, but he rarely sees the likes of the Ginepri serve or forehand.

"It was fun and exciting," said Young. "I had a lot of nerves walking out, but once I started to play, it wasn't bad. I had some chances. I didn't think his serve would be as good as that. He's obviously a good player. I played close to the way I wanted to play, but it was my first time."

So cut him a break and look at the positives: He was not blown off the court and is a well-schooled player with a lefty forehand that will likely become huge and owns a nifty volley. The jury is not only still out, but needs to sit for two more years before a good enough determination is made as to his long term potential. He's only 15-and-a-half and hasn't even started lifting weights yet. He won the Australian Open juniors two weeks ago without dropping a set because he's very good and knows how to construct points. His body and mind need to naturally grow.

"Being left-handed gives him more than edge," Ginepri said. "He moves well and is very talented. He doesn't seem to get too fatigued. He got a lot of balls back and volleys well. His serve can get a little better and his backhand is up and down, but he'll keep working and has a long future ahead of him."

Why Agassi returned to Davis Cup, part II
Andre Agassi has a longer Davis Cup history than a few Baltic nations, so interpreting the reason why he decided to return to play against Croatia is as dicey as finding out how many side dishes Agassi and Darren Cahill ordered during their dinner last Monday at the Bellagio.

Agassi and US captain Patrick McEnroe agree it's because he's not being pressured to play for the whole year, but it has to be a little more than that. No one was pressuring him to play the whole year last year either, and he opted out. Perhaps its' because he's become good buddies with Andy Roddick and has a terrific relationship with the Bryan brothers, who are also on the team that will face the Croats March 4-6 at the Home Depot Center outside of LA. Or maybe it's simply because he sees leading the team to another championship would make his career all that sweeter.

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras led the US Davis Cup team in 2002.

It is likely a combination of many reasons but the good thing is that for the first time since 2000, when Agassi and Pete Sampras played their last time together in a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic, the US is one of the big favorites to win the Cup.

"His interest was in what the guys in the team have started to create as a team, the camaraderie, the chemistry that they've developed," McEnroe said. "I think Andre saw that from a distance. I think he thought, 'Hey, this is something that I'd like to be involved in.' I don't feel it would be right to say to him, or to anybody, including Andy and including the Bryans on this, 'If you don't agree to play every match, you can't play.' It's unrealistic in this day and age of the schedule, how Davis Cup is set up, and the demands of the entire tennis schedule. I feel good about the fact that Andre wanted to come back. I had to do some convincing, obviously, and answer some questions for him. But his interest came from himself. At the end of the day, I think that's what's driving him to come back: to be part of something special."

Here's what Agassi had to say on Monday in a statement:"Over the last few weeks, I have had several conversations with McEnroe and all the members of the Davis Cup team," said Agassi. "As a result of those discussions, and their unwavering support, I have decided to play Davis Cup in 2005. The captain and players know that my life will not allow me to play every tie at this stage of my career. Still, they all expressed encouragement which is very much appreciated. I look forward to joining the team."

HOW MANY TIES?
So does that mean that Agassi is guaranteed to play against maybe Romania in July, France or Russia in September or, US gods forbid, Argentina on clay in December. No, it doesn't. All it says is that he'll give it a shot, tie by tie, and his presence alone elevates the US' chances to win their first Cup since 1995.

"I think it gives us a better chance to win. I think we all know that," McEnroe said. "I can tell you from that experience that he's a natural leader. He's a guy that is so gung-ho. One of the reasons he didn't play Davis Cup, strikingly enough, was because he was so gung-ho about it, because he felt like he didn't have what it takes to give, is what he said numerous times. I'm extremely happy, not from just a front of it gives us a better chance to win, but because of his aura, because of what he brings to the table as a person, as a competitor. I think that will help Davis Cup in this country. I think that will help our younger players."

McEnroe also said that playing more three out of five sets matches in Davis Cup might help Agassi at the majors.

"That was another selling point I used. I said, 'Listen, I don't think it can hurt you to play a couple of big matches in Davis Cup, a couple of best-of-five situations, to keep you sharp and to keep you ready when you get to that quarterfinal at a major and you're playing a Federer or Safin or Roddick or somebody like that.' … because maybe he's not getting enough of those matches. So I think he listened to that. As far as where he is, clearly he's not the dominant guy he was, but he's also playing a more limited schedule. In my mind, he's playing Top-4, Top-5 tennis."