Injured Agassi hits US Davis Cup hopes

“I think it (the ankle) will be all right for that — worst case, maybe even if I have it taped when I’m playing,” Agassi said after his defeat by Gustavo Kuerten. “It will probably take three or four days before I can really move 100 percent on it.”

Like Agassi in February, Sampras comes to the Davis Cup with a title under his belt after beating Kuerten in Miami’s final and he warns the US will face a struggle if his big name compatriot is not fit to play the other singles rubbers.

“Certainly we’d love to have him, hopefully he can get his health back,” Sampras said on Sunday. “With him on the team our chances are that much better to win this pretty easily.

“If he doesn’t play, certainly it opens the door to a tough weekend.”

While the US scraped through 3-2 against Zimbabwe, the Czechs swept Britain aside 4-1 but they appear to have little chance on the indoor hard court if Agassi and Sampras play.

They received a boost in Miami when Martin Damm beat US pair Jared Palmer and Alex O’Brien — named in the Americans’ Davis Cup squad — in the semifinals of the doubles playing alongside Slovak Dominik Hrbaty.

Damm has been drafted into the Czech squad because of this performance but unfortunately Hrbaty will be on duty in Rio de Janeiro, where the Slovaks play Brazil.

“It would be so great if Hrbaty was on our team,” said Czech captain Jan Kukal.” In the old days he would have been … combined we would have a team capable of winning the Cup.”

The US have won three of the four ties against Czech opponents, formerly Czechoslovakia, while the Slovaks have not played Brazil since the division of the two in 1994.

Slovakia beat Austria 3-2 in the first round, after taking a 3-0 lead, but they will find the conditions far more torrid on and around the outdoor clay court in Rio despite their strong singles pairing of Hrbaty and Karol Kucera.

Brazil beat France 4-1 in Florianopolis in the first round and, with Kuerten regaining the form that took him from 23rd in the world to fifth last year, the home side look capable of reaching only their second World Group semifinal.

Champions Australia have lost their Davis Cup final hero Mark Philippoussis with a leg injury for their home tie against Germany in Adelaide but can call upon former world number one Pat Rafter as a formidable substitute.

Rafter missed the nice final after shoulder surgery and could partner Lleyton Hewitt in the singles on Adelaide’s grass, but Germany’s already slim chances have been hit by injury.

Nicolas Kiefer has declined to turn out for his country this season and Tommy Haas pulled out on Saturday with a hip injury.

Rainer Schuettler suffered a thigh muscle injury in training on Monday. A decision on his fitness to play singles alongside David Prinosil will be made on Wednesday.

The final quarter-final sees Russia’s power players, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, attempt to beat the touch players of Spain — Alex Corretja and Albert Costa — on the Spaniards’ favourite surface, red clay.

Kafelnikov, second behind Agassi in the ATP champions race, was knocked out in the quarter-finals in Miami, which did not entirely displease captain Shamil Tarpishchev.

“He should get enough acclimatisation, rest and practice on clay now, which should be the key to his game,” Tarpishchev said.

“My prognosis — whichever team is in better physical form should win the match.”