The Baseline Top 5: Young standouts in Davis Cup finals

Having just turned 22, Borna Coric of Croatia has been a standout in Davis Cup all season as he’s helped his nation advance through the competition, culminating in a win over France in the final. Coric did his part to score his country's first win, a straight-set victory over Jeremy Chardy, to help Croatia win 3-1.

Many of the game’s greats have shined in the international team event from a young age, even with the high stakes involved that have stymied many a veteran.

Here’s a look at some of them who’ve made their mark in the finals on their way to Davis Cup greatness.

1

John McEnroe, 1978

Only 19 and already a force on the tour in his first year as a professional, the American won both of his singles rubbers against Great Britain in the final to help the US take the title for the first time in six years.

2

Stefan Edberg, 1985

The 19-year-old Swede, a week removed from his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, helped his nation clinch the Davis Cup in a live fifth rubber over Michael Westphal of Germany.

3

Michael Chang, 1990

Chang, a Grand Slam champion at 17 the year before, and 20-year-old Andre Agassi, a two-time major finalist in ’90, shined in their first Davis Cup final to push the United States past Australia. Chang's heroics on the road against Austria in the semifinals set the team up for the grand finale.

4

Mikhail Youzhny, 2002

On the ropes against fellow 20-year-old Paul-Henri Mathieu of France in the Davis Cup final, the young Russian staged one of the competition’s greatest comebacks to take the deciding rubber in five sets and give Russia the title.

5

Rafael Nadal, 2004

A year before one of the greatest seasons in the history of the men’s game, Nadal, 17, got his first taste of pressure-packed competition in the Davis Cup final against the United States and found it much to his liking. He’d go on to help Spain win four more titles, including its most recent one in 2011.

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