Skipping Davis Cup for Dollars Over Sense

When I was a kid growing up in the ‘40s and ‘50s, I played tennis as often as I could and intensely read every word about the classic Davis Cup matches between the United States and Australia. How wonderful, I would dream, if I could someday make the Davis Cup team and represent my country.

Reading about the USA’s recent loss to the Czechs, it is clear and disappointing that the pride of representing your country has dropped to a level where money earned in some obscure tournament is more important to today’s players. Players, by the way, who probably make more money endorsing American-made products than they do playing tennis.

DOUG MIDDLETON

Santa Monica

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Not one of our four top tennis stars opted to take part in the Davis Cup matches in Prague, which we lost. Guess you can’t blame them, since they don’t get a dime for playing. Andre Agassi probably needed some extra cash to play for that $20,000 engagement ring.

PAUL MARSH

Toluca Lake

Editor’s Note: It is a misconception that players don’t get paid for Davis Cup. They split a pot, the size of which is determined by how far they advance.