Roddick hoping to rescue disappointing year
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-24 09:13

Andy Roddick hopes to ease the disappointment of not winning a grand slam this year when he leads off the heavily-favoured United States in their Davis Cup semi-final against Belarus on Friday.

"This would definitely help to salvage those other tournaments," said Roddick, who lost to world number one Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final, then bowed out in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open that he won in 2003.

Roddick faces Belarus number two Vladimir Voltchkov in the opening match before Olympic silver medallist Mardy Fish meets Max Mirnyi.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan will play doubles against Mirnyi and either teenager Alexander Skrypko or Voltchkov on Saturday, with the reverse singles scheduled for Sunday.

The winners will play Spain or France for the Davis Cup in December. Spain host France in the other semi-final this weekend.

"I think all of us (on the U.S. team) have been really close to picking up some serious hardware this year, with Mardy at the Olympics, the (Bryan) boys in Australia and myself at Wimbledon," world number two Roddick said after Thursday's draw.

"But we weren't the last people standing, so this is by far our primary focus for the rest of the year."

The U.S. have not reached the Davis Cup final since 1997 and have not won the title since 1995.

"Hopefully, Andy will wrap up (his opening match) pretty convincingly and I can get out there early... and we can hopefully try to get a 2-0 lead in the first day," said Fish, who beat Mirnyi in the third round at the Athens Olympics.

Belarus, however, are unlikely to roll over.

CUP UPSETS

They have pulled off a string of Davis Cup upsets this year, surprising Russia 3-2 in the first round in February, then crushing Argentina 5-0.

"So far in our matches -- this will sound too easy -- but we didn't have to play (win) on the third day," said Voltchkov, when asked whether he would be able to go three days with his sprained left wrist.

"I am ready to play (doubles). Alexander is ready to play, and it's up to the captain to decide who's going to go on the court."

A decision will not be made until after Friday's singles, team captain Sergei Teterin said.

Belarus have never advanced this far in the Davis Cup and believe that will provide motivation.

"We are very young and a small country. That's why anything we do in Davis Cup is very much publicised and very well covered," Mirnyi said.

The humid weather in Charleston and newly installed special hard court, which U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe hopes will work in his team's favour, will not be a major factor, according to Mirnyi.

"All of us have been playing on hard courts, so I believe that we're all pretty much in the same shoe," he said.

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