SANTIAGO, Chile?For a tandem so identified with American Davis Cup fortunes?have any two players ever worn the red, white and blue with such unalloyed enthusiasm??Bob and Mike Bryan have been conspicuously absent. When they stepped on the red clay at Santiago?s Estadio Nacional Court Central Saturday afternoon, it was the first time in nearly 20 months they suited up together under the Yankee flag, dating back to the USA?s quarterfinal loss to Croatia in July 2009.
By the looks of it, not much has changed in that interlude. The world?s top-ranked doubles team gripped their overmatched opponents by the throat?in this case Nicolas Massu and Jorge Aguilar?and never let go. ?They are the toughest out in tennis when it comes to doubles by a long shot,? said new Davis Cup captain Jim Courier.
The 32-year-old Davis Cup stalwarts routined Massu and Aguilar 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4) to give the U.S. a 2-1 advantage heading into Sunday?s concluding singles contests. Andy Roddick can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals when he plays Friday?s surprise hero Paul Capdeville in the opener, followed by Massu against John Isner, should it be necessary.
Meantime, the Bryans were thrilled to be back. ?There is no excitement like Davis Cup,? gushed Mike Bryan, who could not take the court in the Americans? 3-2 loss to Serbia in 2010 due to food poisoning. The Bryans also missed the USA?s relegation win against Colombia last September when former coach Patrick McEnroe went with a different lineup. ?We had a blast out there today, especially playing for him,? Mike Bryan added, glancing at Courier. ?Looking over and seeing him you just want to play well.?
Against 2004 Olympic doubles gold medalist Massu and the 224th-ranked Aguilar, the identical twins did what they always do?serve big, control the net, read each others? movements and find pockets of space in the court. They set the tone early in the three-quarters full stadium by breaking Massu in the second game on a punishing Bob Bryan poach and cruised through the first two sets.
The 10-time major champions trailed in the third when Bob Bryan?s serve was broken in the fifth game. At 3-5, they won eight of the next nine points, breaking Massu at love to even the match at 5-all before running out the contest with potent serving in the tiebreaker. ?As Bob said, it was a little sticky there, but we played well at the end,? said Mike Bryan. The brothers upped their U.S.-best doubles record to 17-2, including an impressive 10-0 on the road.
Despite the relatively trouble-free victory, Courier, in his coaching debut, continued his on-the-job education. With the Bryans down a break at 4-5 in the third, Courier sensed in their eyes that they were locking in. So he resisted his urge to lend verbal encouragement and didn?t say a word?no easy task for an intense entrepreneur used to injecting his input.
?The thing that gives me the most anxiety is not getting in these guys? ways because we?re still getting to know each other in that trial-by-fire situation,? the four-time major winner and two-time Davis Cup champ explained. The learning curve, he added, is "to know when to say something and when to shut up.?
The focus is now on Sunday, and that means Mr. Clinch, aka, Roddick. The 28-year-old Texan heads into the final day with an unblemished 11-0 record in clinching matches. It?s hard to fathom the 8th-ranked American failing to send the U.S. into a highly anticipated home quarterfinal against Spain, which beat Belgium 3-0. But Capdeville proved in his five-set comeback win against Isner on Friday that he is playing at a level above his No. 165 ranking.
Roddick has met Capdeville once before, beating the 27-year-old journeyman in straight sets on clay at Houston in 2006. ?Andy?s been a closer before,? said Bob Bryan. ?We hope to see him put a stamp on this tomorrow.? Chilean coach Hans Gildemeister insisted the pressure was on Roddick and that Capdeville, who needed more than 4 hours to put away Isner, is ready to go. ?Paul is feeling great,? he said. ?He is very hyper to play tomorrow against Andy Roddick. He has nothing to lose. He?s going for it.?
Should Roddick falter, Massu said he, too, was fit and pumped to play his third match of the tie on Sunday. ?I feel good for not playing so many matches (of late),? the 31-year-old said. ?We hope tomorrow I can play the final match.? If they go to a deciding fifth singles contest, it will be more new ground for Courier?ground that would set him apart from his predecessor. Despite 10 years as captain, McEnroe never coached a tie that went to a deciding fifth match. Talk about a learning curve.
Douglas Robson is a frequent contributor to USA Today and TENNIS.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/qJrsYc-xOU8/
No comments:
Post a Comment