With the Davis Cup final just days away, former USA captain, and brother to the current captain, John McEnroe spoke exclusively to the Blackrock Tour of Champions Podcast, Episode 9, sharing his thoughts on how it might go this weekend.

“Given the fact that we’re playing at home, and we’re going to play on a surface that’s more suitable to us – a fast court – and I think there’s some desperation, it’s been 12 years or so since we won the Davis Cup… I think with all the goings on to me it all sort of points to a win for us.

“Doubles is often key, and we have a big edge there because none of their players are really doubles players. They’re all basically singles players and they throw a couple together. So I would say we’re heavy favorites there. However, I have done a match, I did a match against Croatia a couple of years back where I was a commentator, and that was more or less a team that was put together. Ljubicic and Ancic don’t play a lot of doubles, although they’re more comfortable playing it, they were not supposed to beat the Bryans. So they can’t take anything fore granted, but they play with a lot of energy, which I like and I think they bring a positive vibe to the team, which is important too.

“I know that he’s (Patrick McEnroe) wanted this moment for a long time. The one other time he got to the finals they had to play in Spain so obviously they picked a clay court and it was in front of an incredible amount of people. And Spain had only recently won, the year I was captain was the first year they had won the Davis Cup competition. So, they were hungry and it was new to them and fresh still.

“So now, more and more teams that had never previously won the (Davis) Cup – Croatia, Spain, Russia for example – have tasted what it felt like and it’s become more difficult for a country to dominate the way the U.S. did in the past and Australia. I think you’d be surprised to learn, most people, that it’s been this long since America’s won, so I definitely feel like there’s a sense of urgency for them to do so.

“I’ll certainly be watching and if I can get there in person I’ll do so.”

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[1] http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com/5/news/2007/podcast9.asp