HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The crowd rocked to the rhythm of tribal dancers. Spectators did the wave. The din was so loud the umpire could barely be heard.
And John McEnroe wanted nothing more than to pick up a racket.But McEnroe, making his debut as Davis Cup captain, could only stalk the sideline Friday as the United States split its opening singles matches with Zimbabwe.
"I wasn't able to get up and play," McEnroe said.
Andre Agassi, helped by some questionable line calls, won the opener by overpowering Wayne Black 7-5, 6-3, 7-5. Then Black's brother, Byron Black, defeated Chris Woodruff 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-2 to even the best-of-5, first-round series.
The doubles today will be critical. The winner will have a 2-1 lead entering Sunday's reverse singles, which are expected to be split.
In doubles, the Americans will send Alex O'Brien and Rick Leach against Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett.
"I've got to regroup not only myself but the team," McEnroe said.
For McEnroe, this was the first time he had to watch a match in which he had a big stake but was unable to go out and hit winners. Instead, he encouraged, cajoled and cheered from his seat near the end of the net.
He even headed to chair umpire Wayne McKewen to dispute a few calls. It was a throwback to the McEnroe of old, except his hair, once unruly and held with a headband, is now gray and short.
The support for the Black brothers was earsplitting at the 4,000-seat City Sports Center outside the capital city. A half-dozen young women, dressed in yellow wraparound skirts and colorful headbands, got the crowd revved up with a tribal dance.
Agassi's match with Wayne Black, marking America's first Davis Cup foray into Africa, was a battle of baseline punching.
Agassi said he was sometimes short of breath in the 5,000-foot altitude -- the highest elevation in which has played. He arrived in Harare on Monday, a day after winning the Australian Open.
With the victory, Agassi tied Arthur Ashe for second in U.S. Davis Cup singles victories, with 27. McEnroe holds the record with 41.
Byron Black then took on Woodruff, who was making his Davis Cup debut. And when Black won the tiebreaker to take the first set, the crowd turned uproarious. These were not the genteel grounds of Wimbledon.
At 4-2 in the third set, Black rushed for a forehand and dropped the ball over the net. He sank to one knee and pumped his fist.
The spectators went into a frenzy. The noise was so loud that when the umpire called time after the break, he was barely audible. Some of the drummers took flags, aimed the staffs at the American side and pretended to open fire.