British Press Slam Courier’s Demeanor During Davis Cup Play

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 3rd February 2014

British Press Slam Courier’s Demeanor During Davis Cup Play

epa03175671 US head coach Jim Courier during the Davis Cup quarter final match between French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and US tennis player John Isner in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 08 April 2012. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO |

From a British perspective, the captaincy of Jim Courier in the United States’ humiliating home Davis Cup defeat at the hands of Andy Murray and the rest of the British team, left a lot to be desired.

Courier’s demeanor in leading his team was severely criticized in the British media from his decision to wear a sharp suit and designer sunglasses rather than a team track suit throughout the three days to the way he struggled to give his team, and Sam Querrey in particular, any compassionate support from the sidelines.

British television analysts made great play of the fact Courier didn’t even stay at Querrey’s side in the courtside chairs during a changeover at the end of one set in Friday’s shock defeat against 167th ranked James Ward and instead headed for the locker rooms.

“He looks more like a basketball coach in the NBA and the sunglasses don’t exactly allow him eye to eye contact with his players,” said former British Davis Cup player Greg Rusedski. “It gave off a message of superiority and that’s not really what players are expecting from a Davis Cup captain.

“Plus the way he left Querrey to work things out for himself, presumably to answer a call of nature, really didn’t look too good and must have made the player feel a whole lot worse after losing a set.”

Courier, whose court announcer at the Australian Open last month demanded he ask questions of the more outlandish nature to players. And yet he pounded on British BBC radio man Russell Fuller when asked how he felt after Britain had taken a 2-0 lead on Day One and demanded his interrogator start over with a better opening question.

There was certainly a facetious manner from Courier as he was later asked to put the defeat in perspective, given the fact no team representing the USA has lost on American soil to the British since 1903.

Courier answered: “It feels great to be alive in 2014. We certainly don’t feel a lot of kinship to the last team that lost to the Brits on American soil since they’ve been dead a long time. It has nothing to do with us. We come to play on our own terms.”

Editors note: This is the same Jim Courier that allowed the Bryan Brothers to have their coach David Macpherson nearby. And both twins got coaching from David during the match ? Only winning match won wasn’t thanks to Jim. David Nankin wasn’t allowed to coach Sam. Ilona Young wasn’t allowed to coach D.Y. And never forget Courier read novels on 90 second changeovers when he was a boring , bored number one player in the world.

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Bob Bryan, Bryan Brothers, Coach, Davis Cup, James Ward, Jim Courier, Mike Bryan, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News