Andy Roddick won the first match in the Davis Cup tournament for the United States, he gave his team a quick start by winning over the Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4 and 6-2.
Roddick was very excited with his victory and raised his hands up as a sign of triumph at the Portland's Memorial Coliseum, the crowd almost got crazy with the victory. "It's kind of like 'so close but so far away.' There's no celebration," Roddick said. "It's one match. The celebration will be saved for when we win, if we win."
Roddick took the first set after he hit an 146-mph serve that Tursunov returned long, ending a game that was at deuce four times. Roddick let out a growl after holding serve, and the U.S. fans went wild.
Roddick went up 2-1 in the second set when Tursunov hit a forehand into the net to finish off the break. Roddick broke Tursunov again to start the third set. While he high-fived U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe, Tursunov threw up his hands in disgust. "If there are 12-and-a-half thousand people behind you and you can use them to help you win a tennis match, you would be stupid not to, right?" Roddick said. "Other than cheating, I'll do anything I can to win."
This is the end of the year's best of five final international championships. On Saturday, Nicolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev are scheduled on doubles against Bob and Mike Ryan after Davydenko was pushed out of the single matches by the Russian captain Shamil Tarpishev.
Unfortunately for Davydenko is coming to the Davis Cup after a year full of rumours and investigations after unusual betting situations last August when he lost against Martin Vasallo Arguello from Argentina. Of course he denies all the accusations.
The once-dominant United States has 31 Davis Cup titles but has won none in 12 years, the longest span without an American victory. Pete Sampras last led the team to victory over Russia on clay in Moscow in 1995. The United States hosted the Davis Cup final in 1992, in Fort Worth, Texas. Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe were the United States team that defeated Switzerland.
