Jim Courier appointed US Davis Cup captain

Four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No 1 Jim Courier has been appointed US Davis Cup captain by the US Tennis Association, replacing former captain Patrick McEnroe, who resigned last month.

McEnroe served as US captain for ten years, winning the 2007 Davis Cup to end the country's 12-year drought. Saying he wanted to dedicate time to his family and his other jobs, McEnroe abruptly announced during the US Open - where Courier was working as a television analyst - that he was stepping down.

Within an hour of McEnroe's departure being reported, Courier said on TV that he would be interested in leading the team, and yesterday he landed the job. "It's something that I certainly aspired to," said 40-year-old Courier, who retired as a player in 2000. "I definitely thought being the captain would be something that I'd enjoy, and now I get to see if I will."

As a player, Courier helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 1992 and 1995, and he finished with a 16-10 record in singles, 1-0 in doubles.

Known for his big-cut groundstrokes and white baseball cap, Courier was No 1 in the ATP rankings for 58 weeks in 1992-93. He won the French Open in 1991 and 1992, and the Australian Open in 1992 and 1993, and played in three other Grand Slam finals, part of a phenomenal generation of US tennis talent that also included Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Michael Chang.

On the day he resigned, McEnroe mentioned Courier and 1999 US Open runner-up Todd Martin as clear candidates for the position. The USTA also considered 1996 Wimbledon runner-up MaliVai Washington.

Courier's 2011 debut as Davis Cup captain will come in the first round in Chile on 4-6 March. If the Americans win, they would face Spain or Belgium in the quarter-finals on 8-10 July and remain on course to win the Davis Cup for a 33rd time.

"We're certainly going to have a test down there, there's no doubt about that, playing in South America, likely to be on clay," Courier said of the Chile clash.

The new captain added: "There's been a great camaraderie amongst the guys playing for Patrick over the past decade, and if we can keep that same spirit, I think we'll have a great chance to win."

"There's a lot of diversity on the squad," he noted. "You've got the veteran players, with Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, the Bryans, and, hopefully, James Blake can get back in the conversation."