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From: cher@ihlpm.UUCP (Cherepov)
Newsgroups: net.sport
Subject: Re: playing for your country
Message-ID: <531@ihlpm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 12:50:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpm.531
Posted: Mon Oct 14 12:50:01 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Oct-85 04:48:29 EDT
References: <147@ucdavis.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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> Why is it that some players seem to be top 20 material when they are
> playing for their country, but put them on in a regular tournament, and
> they are just average?  Raul Ramirez was another excellent example of
> this.
> 
> And why did Lendl play doubles (with Smid) yet didn't play singles?
> I hadn't heard anything about any injuries.  Any ideas?
> 

My guess would be that German super performance (I'm not trying to 
take anything away from them) might be better explained by Czechs' 
attitude. Were Lendl (who applied for green card in US, and lives in
Connecticut) and Smid (who also lives here) particularly motivated
by necessity to represent their communist country?  Not necessarily...

All the Davis Cup things : team spirit, national pride and what not,
attention (fans) , etc,etc, could be very helpful for folks
who like that sort of things.

B.t.w: I saw  Tulasne match against Connors at US open and was
rather impressed: he resembles Lendl a lot and hits pretty hard ..
No cigar though.
			Mike Cherepov