Tennis great Boris Becker has called on Germany's younger generation to forget cashing in while chasing unattainable dreams and concentrate instead on representing their country in the Davis Cup.
Germany's top players have recently been shy of competing in the Davis Cup, an annual event which pits the best tennis nations against each other in a four singles and one doubles match format.
A second string German team was hammered 4-1 by France in the first round of the 2010 edition earlier this month, a result which forces Germany into World group survival playoffs in September for the first time in four years.
Former world number one Becker believes it's time for players to stop cashing in on their talents and start taking the time to represent their country.
"The (team) captain Patrik Kuhnen was forced to send out a 'B' team and therein lies the problem, the Davis Cup is simply no longer important to the current crop of players," Becker said in the Sport Bild magazine.
"The players have contracts with German companies, they're given the backing of the German federation and still they can't put aside two weeks to represent their country."
Becker, who won 54 of the 66 matches he played in Davis Cup competition and helped Germany to the trophy in 1988 and 1989, added: "They say there's too much pressure. To that I say well maybe they should work at the Post Office. There's less pressure, and less money too."
Germany currently have only four players in the ATP rankings' top 50 players, with Tommy Haas leading in 18th and Philipp Kohlschreiber 31st.
At their recent defeat to France, Germany's team was composed of Kohlschreiber, Benjamin Becker (ranked 39), doubles specialist Christopher Kas, who is currently unranked in singles, and Simon Gruel (58).
Boris Becker -- who is no relation to namesake Benjamin -- believes it's time to replace individual mediocrity with some Davis Cup patriotism.
"The players have to understand that it's far more enriching being successful in Davis Cup than spending their entire career evolving between 70th and 130th in the world rankings."
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
