U.S. Has a Cupful of Possibilities

It’s never too early to talk about Davis Cup.

The day after the 2005 season wrapped with a sensational ending -- by the way, who in January would have called it: Croatia 3, Slovakia 2 in the final? -- U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe was speaking about the ’06 campaign.

(Hmm. That 3-2 loss to Croatia in Carson in the first round suddenly doesn’t look quite so dismal.)

McEnroe appeared at a luncheon Monday at the venue for the first-round match against Romania, Feb. 10-12 at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. Later, in a telephone interview, he talked about his plans for 2006, described the club as “a gorgeous site” and said he is aiming for a medium-fast court just like the U.S. Open surface.

Luckily for McEnroe, he doesn’t have to answer questions about the availability of Davis Cup loyalists Andy Roddick and the doubles-playing twins Bob and Mike Bryan. He now has valid options for the No. 2 singles spot -- U.S. Open semifinalist Robby Ginepri, Open quarterfinalist James Blake or even Taylor Dent.

That leaves only the usual questions about Andre Agassi’s plans. The eight-time Grand Slam singles winner is scheduled to play the Australian Open but is expected to cut back in some areas in 2006, including the clay-court season.

McEnroe spoke to him, and they went over the Davis Cup schedule. Victory against Romania would mean a quarterfinal match at home in April.

“Let’s just say he was interested,” McEnroe said. “He’s going to think about it, and we’ll probably touch base before the holidays.

“He thought it was something that could fit with his schedule next year. I don’t think he’s planning on playing on clay at all, so the second round might work for him. The door is still open. He didn’t say, ‘I definitely don’t want to play.’ ”

McEnroe will announce the team after the Australian Open in January. The rise of Ginepri and Blake has changed the decision-making process, making it less clear-cut.

“I feel we’re in a much stronger position now with the second spot,” McEnroe said. “We’ve got a plethora of options, but now they’re all good.”

Ginepri and Blake didn’t do a slow fade after the U.S. Open. Blake won a tournament in Stockholm, and Ginepri reached the semifinals in Madrid, losing to Rafael Nadal of Spain.

“Sometimes, you can do well in your home Slam and that’s a bit of a fluke,” McEnroe said. “[But] James had never played well in Europe, goes to Stockholm, wins that, and Ginepri was very solid in the fall.”

McEnroe was teased about perhaps coming out of retirement and joining his brother, who will be playing doubles in February at San Jose with Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden. It will be John McEnroe’s first ATP tournament since 1994.

“He picked a good partner. I can’t believe I didn’t get a call,” Patrick McEnroe said, joking. “He went right to the top, didn’t mess around. I think he’ll do well, and it’ll be fun to see how he does. I’ve been telling him for years to do it.”

*

More on the Cup

Fans in Southern California probably will get to see Croatia’s newest heroes, Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, a couple of times in 2006.

Both are scheduled to play in the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells in March. And both have committed to the Countrywide Classic at UCLA, July 24-30, according to organizers.

Ljubicic came within one match of equaling John McEnroe’s Davis Cup record of winning 12 singles matches in one season.

McEnroe won all 12 of his matches in 1982. Ljubicic went 11-1, losing to Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia in five sets Sunday, the last day of the final. Ancic quelled his nerves enough to secure the Cup-clinching match, beating Michal Mertinak in straight sets.

*

Hingis Speaks

Martina Hingis spoke to the media for the first time Saturday since announcing her planned return to the tour in 2006. After appearing at a news conference in Switzerland she was on a conference call that started at 6:30 a.m. on the West Coast, and even thanked reporters for getting up so early.

The comebacks of Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati -- both of whom succeeded after long layoffs -- motivated Hingis, as did the more recent returns of Justine Henin-Hardenne, Lindsay Davenport and Mary Pierce.

“Well, there is a lot of inspiration all around,” Hingis said. “I practiced with [Henin-Hardenne] before. She had her comeback in Key Biscayne and Charleston, and she won the French Open and I was hitting with her. So I’m not really that far off.

“Also, Lindsay Davenport and Mary Pierce having such a great year, that’s another inspiration, the same girls I used to play against are still at the top.”