THE SCOOP: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5

PMac: Agassi has left door open to future Cup play
Mardy's no lock for '05 No. 2 spot, Vince possible

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Ron Cioffi/TR.net

Andre Agassi could return to the U.S. Davis Cup team.

FROM THE DAVIS CUP FINAL IN SEVILLE – Even though Andre Agassi said in September that he has closed the door to playing Davis Cup again, US Captain Patrick McEnroe said after the US's 3-2 defeat to Spain that the American legend has never told him that.

"I don't know where his head is at, but he's never completely shut the door to and he's never said to me, 'I'm never playing Davis Cup again.' As long as he's never said that to me, I'm going to keep asking."

When asked why he declined a spot on the US team for this tie, Agassi said he had changed his career priorities and wanted to leave the competition to the younger Americans. The Las Vegan hasn't played a tie since April 2000.

McEnroe also said that Mardy Fish isn't a lock for the No. 2 spot next year. Fish lost in straight sets to Carlos Moya on Friday but did win a straight-set dead rubber over Tommy Robredo on Sunday.

"He does not have the spot locked up," McEnroe said. "He's played some good matches for us this year, but he hasn't locked it up."

Does that leave the door open for Vince Spadea, who came to Seville as a practice player but couldn't grab the No. 2 spot from Fish? Possibly. "Vince really impressed us this week," McEntoe said of the 30-year-old part-time rapper. "He really entertained all of us off the court and has played well all year. I'll keep on eye on him."

Andy Roddick did more than just tweak his groin in the fourth game of the second set against Moya. McEnroe was so concerned that that he nearly stopped play in late in the second set, but Roddick recovered.

Spanish Captain Jordi Arrese on the significance of the victory: "This is probably the most important trophy we have had together with the silver medal. Even though if we win this trophy again, it will never, ever be the same as in this occasion because we are here, we are in Sevilla, we have 27,000 people in the crowd, we have probably won the Guinness record for the amount of people in the crowd. The atmosphere was unique. It was terribly, terribly exciting."

BASEBALL STILL THE NATIONAL PASTTIME
The US team played their coaches and other staffers in a makeshift baseball game following the final on the grass inside Estadio Olympico. The report: "The final score of the baseball game was the US Davis Cup team 5, Team Staff 3. The Team Staff led 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Andy Roddick started the inning with a solo home run, right field, to tie the game at 3-all, and [practice partner] Alex Kuznetsova hit a two-run game-winning scoring Mardy Fish to give the team a 5-3 victory."