 Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 27 Nov 2007 |
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| 27 Nov 2007 - Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR. - Neil Robinson | |
| Great expectations |
“Three points for the team. That’s the goal,” was Andy Roddick’s stated aim for the American team at this weekend’s Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final against defending champion Russia in Portland, Oregon.
The world No. 6 admitted in Tuesday's press conference that he wouldn’t mind if he lost both his singles matches this weekend if the USA was victorious because for him “it’s about the culmination of a year.”
Roddick comes into the Davis Cup Final, a competition which he has always been excited about and which features high on his list of priorities, after advancing to the semifinals at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, which he said was perfect preparation for this weekend having felt that he had been short of match practice.
USA’s other singles player James Blake also arrived in Portland after a good week’s practice session in Connecticut. “I'm excited about it. I definitely feel ready to go.”
The American team, which comes equipped with practice partners Donald Young, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri, is expecting a rowdy crowd to add to its home court advantage as it strives to bring the Davis Cup back to the USA for the 32nd time and more importantly perhaps, the first time for 12 years.
“We have an opportunity to do something great, bring the Cup back here for the first time since '95,” said Blake, “but it’s a difficult situation when we're dealing with following the greatest generation probably in the history of American tennis. I think it's going to be difficult for any one country to dominate the way the U.S. has in the past.”
The Bryan brothers hope to cap a remarkable year by maintaining their excellent Davis Cup doubles record, which currently stands at 12-1, and hopefully contributing to a US triumph.
“We’ll be ready for them,” referring to whichever doubles team Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev nominates in Thursday’s draw.
With four players in his squad that can play on all surfaces and equally adept at both singles and doubles, Tarpischev said that it was too early to tell who would play the opening singles rubbers on Friday and that he would not decide his exact line-up until Thursday. He was also quick to put an end to speculation that last year’s hero Marat Safin would be a surprise last-minute inclusion in the Russian team: “This is our strongest team. I think that these guys play better than Marat, and he is not going to be here.”
Despite his confidence in his team, Tarpischev estimates Russia’s chances of defending the title at 30-35%, as the Americans will be much more at home on the hard court in the Memorial Coliseum than on clay last year when Russia scored its first Davis Cup victory against USA. However, he went on to warn anyone anticipating a foregone conclusion, “a similar situation occurred in our first match we played with Chile. We were not the favourites, but we were able to win.”
Tarpischev’s opposite number Patrick McEnroe would seem to agree. “We're going to have to play well. If our guys play well, with the conditions that we have here with the court and the fans, we like our chances. But we certainly understand that this is going to be a very tough match to win.”
This is the fourth Davis Cup meeting between the two nations, Russia scoring its first victory over 31-time champion USA in last year’s semifinal in Moscow on the way to the title. The USA defeated Russia in the 1995 Davis Cup Final, also in Moscow, the last occasion that the Americans lifted the trophy.
Related Links on other websites
> Information from USTA
> Information from RTF
Related Links on Daviscup.com
> Tie Information
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