Aussie tennis icon’s last dig as he joins U.S team

A two-time Davis Cup winner for Australia in the 1980s, Cash has been invited to assist the US team at the Fed Cup final in Belarus later this week due to his role as coach of American star Coco Vandeweghe.

Overlooked as an option to captain Australia’s Davis Cup side in retirement, Cash couldn’t resist a jab before joining the traditional enemy. “I get invited along (to Davis Cup), get the courtesy ‘by the way here’s a ticket’ but never an airfare or hotel which is disappointing,” Cash told AAP. “I think the way they treat their ex-players in tennis in general – and Australian tennis is no different – is pretty poor.

“I’ve been in the American camp for I don’t know how many minutes and am already being treated better than the Australians have treated me.” The 1987 Wimbledon champion took on the Vandeweghe coaching role after the French Open in June.

‘I couldn’t have wished for a better player,” Cash said.

“I’ll watch her any day and she is one of the few players on the women’s circuit where you sit down and say, ‘ok, there’s going to be some action here’.” Vandeweghe was at her combustible best in the WTA Elite Trophy final in China on Sunday, blowing a 5-2 first set advantage to fall 7-5 6-1 to Germany’s Julia Goerges.

But her journey to the final was still enough to earn a career-high ranking of 10, with Vandeweghe set to lead the American charge in Belarus. The emotional talent said Cash had helped her improve “everything” in her game. “I think Pat came in at a great time where I was probably at a very low point,” the 25-year-old said.

“The best way to describe it (his role) is a father figure.

“It will be interesting to have him in the female dynamic of the Fed Cup since he was a Davis Cup legend.” Cash is a dual citizen thanks to his American mother and says the US is his “second favourite country”.

“If Australia was playing the US I’d be torn,” he laughed.