An Interview With Pat Cash

Life after tennis can strike a resounding death chord for Pat Cash.

The 1987 Wimbledon champion, famous for his black-and-white checkered headband inspired by Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist for Cash's then favourite band Cheap Trick, spends some of his spare time playing guitar himself.

"I like lots of stuff, mainly guitar or blues, funk to full on Death Metal," Cash says with a smile.

While Cash strings life into death metal, he mourns the demise of the serve-and-volley style he played. Cash said serve-and-volleyers have become an endangered species in today's tennis.

"Tennis has changed a lot over the years. Since my playing days and now, it's a very different game and the approach to it is very different," Cash says.

"Look at the height and strength of the players. Now it is a power game. It's not as pretty as before, but certainly more effective. The players serve better than ever before. But we don't see many players volleying. It's almost a lost art."

Three of the four majors were once played on grass. Cash points to Wimbledon as the lone Grand Slam staged on grass — as well as the fact top players seldom play doubles anymore - as the primary reasons for the growth of baseliners and the demise of serve-and-volley tennis.

"The future of grass court is Wimbledon, unless the grass stops growing," Cash says.

"It is the biggest tournament on grass and it will remain that way. Actually, grass courts are expensive to maintain. It is much easier to lay the clay courts. Nowadays, players stress more on playing singles. This is not very good for world tennis. But I guess it's going to be that way."

The 44-year-old Melbourne native staged a bit of a grass-court revival n August of 2008.

Cash won the singles title at the $150,000 Hall of Fame Champions Cup defeating Jim Courier 6-3, 6-4 in the singles final, spoiling Courier’s 38th birthday. With the victory, Cash earned $54,000 and his first tournament victory on the Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players aged 30 and over.

"It was a fantastic tour," says Cash of the Outback Champions Series.

"I’ve been lucky to play a lot of tournaments.  My favourite surface is on grass.  The Hall of Fame put on a fantastic event."

Said Courier of Cash, "He’s clearly a deserving champion and a very worthy champion. He’s a Wimbledon champion after all."

The former Wimbledon champion was back at it again in London,  defeating  John McEnroe 3-6, 7-6(6), 10-7 in the BlackRock Tour Of Champions match in London’s Royal Albert Hall earlier in the year.  The victory came 21 years after Cash beat Ivan Lendl to win Wimbledon — a triumph that still brings back fond memories.

"It was a long time ago now. Looking back I feel that I was lucky to have squeezed a few good years in between my injuries and 1986 to 1989 were the years where I was super fit and mentally very tough," Cash explains.

"Coming in to the tournament I knew the only player I would have trouble with was Boris Becker who had won it the previous two years. He lost early and although I had to beat the number 1, 3 and 5 players in the world (Lendl, Mats Wilander and Jimmy Connors) their games suited my game on the grass.

"I had to pull it off and after good results winning the Davis Cup in 86 and the Australian Open final in early 1987, I was full of self belief."

Self belief and resilience are just two of the qualities Cash believes British number one Andy Murray will need when Wimbledon comes around on the 22nd June if he’s to transform his promising talent into Grand Slam titles.

“The way to win Grand Slams is to come through a tough match, utilise as much time as is available to recover and then march straight back out on court with the mindset that you are going to do it all over again.

“Andy’s put in some heroic performances over the past two years but I think he needs that tweak in the mindset. I’m not sure if it’s a British mindset but I’m certain he can go on and do it, if not in 2009 then in 2010.

Cash also thinks Murray could do with utilising the Wimbledon crowd to positive affect in the two-week tournament in south-west London.

"It shouldn’t take too much arm-twisting to make him admit the atmosphere from the crowd at the climax of a win at Wimbledon is very special. He must remember that feeling, savour it and now embrace it.

"He is the British nation’s great hope but in terms of support, view that as a help rather than a hindrance. This really is a great time for tennis and Andy Murray is deserving his place in the top three and I firmly believe he can win the title in the next two years.”

By Mark O’Haire