Andy Roddick wanted a Davis Cup matchup in his Texas hometown, and now he has one.
By Roberto Candia, AP
The USA will take on world No. 1Rafael Nadal and Spain in an intriguing Davis Cup quarterfinal July 8-10 in Austin at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas. The USTA will make a formal announcement today.
"I appreciate the USTA for even considering Austin," Roddick said earlier this month after leading the USA to victory in a first-round matchup against Chile with two singles victories. "I think it's been no secret that I have wanted it for a long time. It would be a dream come true to play at home." Roddick, who helped the USA to its record 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007, is second all time in victories for the USA with 33.
This will be the first home tie for Jim Courier, who is in his first year as U.S. Davis Cup captain, and the first home tie for the USA since it defeated Switzerland in the 2009 first round in Birmingham, Ala. Since then the USA has played in four consecutive away ties.
"We are excited to play in Austin as we have not hosted a tie in the U.S. for quite some time," said Courier, who made his debut as captain in the USA's win against Chile. "We will be ready to use our crowd's energy for what promises to be an exciting and challenging tie vs. Spain."
This quarterfinal tie will mark the 10th matchup between the USA and Spain in Davis Cup. The USA leads the overall series 5-4, with its last victory against Spain coming in the 2007 quarterfinal in Winston-Salem, N.C. Nadal led Spain to a 4-1 victory in the last meeting between the two countries in the 2008 semifinals in Spain. The USA is 109-15 in Davis Cup ties played at home.
"Austin is honored to be chosen for the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup," says Matthew Payne, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission. "We're looking forward to hosting this world-class event and showcasing why Austin has recently garnered global recognition as an attractive sports destination."
This will be the fifth Davis Cup tie played in Texas and first since the USA defeated Spain 3-1, in the 2002 quarterfinal at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston. The USA is 4-0 in Texas, including the 1992 Davis Cup Final in Fort Worth when arguably the best U.S. Davis Cup team ever (Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and the doubles team of John McEnroeand Pete Sampras) defeated Switzerland 3-1. Roddick, at age 10, attended that match as a fan with his family.
The other finalist cities were San Antonio and Albany, N.Y
Courtesy: USAToday
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