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Wrapping things up

Davis Cup final signals end to tennis season

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By Lee Geeker, CNNSI.com

	• Storylines • Aces/Double Faults • They Said It • Anna Kournikova Watch • Looking Ahead

The 2000 tennis season comes to a conclusion this week in Barcelona, as Spain hosts Australia in what should be an exciting Davis Cup final.

Last week, the ATP Tour (or ATP as it will be known from here on) wrapped up its first season with its new Champions Race, which ended up as a success, at least on the court.

No one could have hoped for a better scenario than the one that played out in Lisbon last week, as Gustavo Kuerten rallied to win the Tennis Masters Cup, taking the top spot in the world with the victory.

Even with the excitement on the court though, it remains to be seen if the Champions Race will attract as much attention as the ATP hoped it would.

For this week, the Davis Cup takes center stage, and there is already plenty of excitement.

American players may be clamoring for a change, but Spain and Australia seem to be content with the current format.

Tickets are at a premium for the event, because the locals know they will be cheering on their team as it goes for the title. A 16-team tournament held all at once wouldn't guarantee such a happening (though maybe holding the semifinals and finals in the same week wouldn't be a bad idea).

Whatever decision is made by tennis' powers, it seems that there is still plenty more interest this week (at least in the two countries participating) than there was last week for the ATP's final event.

One of the good guys

Some people may not be convinced that Gustavo Kuerten was worthy of the No. 1 ranking based on his 2000 season, but Kuerten deserves all the accolades he gets. It was touching to see Kuerten's mother and grandmother with him as he accepted the trophy at the Tennis Masters Cup. Chances are that trophy made it home to Kuerten's brother Guilherme, who is mentally handicapped. Kuerten spends a great deal of time raising money for charities to help handicapped persons, and deserves everyone's recognition for that.

How do they do it?

While preparing for the Davis Cup final, it was interesting to find out exactly how the host country is chosen, since Australia has to play on the road, even though it is the defending champion. A little research in the Davis Cup media guide explains that whichever country was the visitor in the previous tie will be the host the next time, but only if the previous tie was played in 1970 or after. In the case of Spain and Australia, their last meeting was in 1967, so the choice was decided by lot.

ACE Gustavo Kuerten Drops opener to Andre Agassi, but gets revenge when it counts in Masters Cup final.

ACE Andre Agassi He may have lost the final, but wins over Kuerten, Magnus Norman, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Marat Safin showed he can still beat the best.

DOUBLE FAULT John McEnroe He just can't stay out of the spotlight for long. No matter what he says, it hard to believe he could still be one of the best doubles players in the world.

"Today is the best day of my life, for sure. If I have a child, I can tell him that I've been No. 1 one day."

Gustavo Kuerten, after winning the Tennis Masters Cup.

"You know, he's a fighter. There's no question mentally he's one of the stronger guys out there."

Pete Sampras, after falling to Kuerten in the semifinals in Lisbon.

She's one of the biggest stars in tennis, and makes millions in endorsements, yet 19-year-old Anna Kournikova has never won a WTA Tour singles title, earning her plenty of criticism. Week at a Glance will follow Anna's performance until she finally breaks through with her first tournament win.

2000 stats: 47-26 record, one final and eight semifinal appearances in 26 tournaments.

Kournikova's season is over, and though she finished at No. 8 in the world, she will now have to wait until 2001 to go for her first title. The Glance will continue to follow her progress as she goes for the big victory.

This week - ATP Tour

The ATP season is over with, but Spain and Australia meet in the Davis Cup final in Barcelona, with Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, Mark Woodforde, and Sandon Stolle on the Aussie squad. The home side is represented by Alex Corretja, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Albert Costa, and Juan Balcells.

This week - WTA Tour

The women's season is complete, with nothing scheduled until January, when preparations begin for the Australian Open.

This is the final Tennis Week at a Glance for 2000. Check back in January 2001 for the Glance's return.

 

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