Zimbabwe's second-ranked tennis player will oppose Agassi on Friday in the first singles match weekend Davis Cup clash against the United States.

Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, drew Black's name from a large silver bowl in the draw ceremony in the gardens of the colonial-style presidential palace in Harare.

Under Davis Cup rules, a No. 2 player drawn first must play his opponents' first ranker.

Zimbabwe's top player, Byron Black, Wayne's brother, then plays the U.S. No. 2 Chris Woodruff on Friday.

They will be the first matches for new captain John McEnroe, and the first time the Americans have played the Davis Cup in Africa.

With Pete Sampras and Todd Martin injured, Agassi knows he is being counted on to win both of his singles matches.

"There's a lot of pressure," Agassi said Wednesday after practicing at the indoor 4,000-seat National Sports Center.

Sampras withdrew from the team after injuring his hip during his semifinal loss to Agassi in Australia. Martin pulled out with a viral infection.

"This changes things incredibly," Agassi said. "We are playing away against two real talented players."

Zimbabwe will count on the brothers who last September helped the country rejoin the Davis Cup World Group when they trounced Chile and its star, Marcelo Rios, 4-1.

Agassi is still getting over jet lag. He arrived in the Zimbabwean capital Monday following his victory Sunday at the Australian Open.

He said that with the Davis Cup so soon after the Australian tournament, there was not much time to get ready for this first-round series. Still, he is all business.

"We have a job to do," Agassi said. "The Davis Cup is rarely ever convenient. It requires sacrifice, but it also is a great feeling of accomplishment coming together as a team."

The American players traveled 6,700 miles from the Australian Open to reach Zimbabwe and were adjusting to Harare's altitude of 5,510 feet.

Wayne Black and teammate Kevin Ullyett meet Americans Alex O'Brien and Rich Leach in doubles play of the best-of-5 competition.

McEnroe competed in the Davis Cup for 12 years and leads all Americans in Davis Cup victories with 41. The last time he played was 1992, when he teamed with Sampras, Agassi and Jim Courier. That squad defeated Switzerland in the final at Fort Worth, Texas. He holds six major Davis Cup records and has always been a strong supporter of the event.

The U.S. captain took a break from practice to hold a tennis clinic in the crowded black township of Chitungwiza, 15 miles south of Harare.

On the township's only courts, built by the International Tennis Federation with money mainly from U.S. and Australian donors, McEnroe was surrounded by youngsters.

He chatted with them, though few knew who he was. Others admitted they had never heard of the Davis Cup.

"If you like tennis," McEnroe told them, "if you are serious about it, you've got to start young."