Davis Cup Moments - Houston, Texas

This quarterfinal match dates back to 2002, when USA defeated Spain. The tie was set in the deep south of Texas, at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston. The overwhelming support of the locals paired with Jim McIngvale’s (Mattress Mac) enthusiasm for hosting the tie at his tennis club makes this Davis Cup victory worth telling again.

Historically, the tie marked what would be American legend, Pete Sampras’ last performance in Davis Cup. With the Netheads on site, the noise and support for the US team was plentiful. The US team was the favorite, going into the tie, as it was played on grass. Andy Roddick gave the team an opening 1-0 lead with a straight sets victory over Tommy Robredo.

On a beautiful, sunny day in Texas, the Netheads marked every ace served by the young American with a boisterous count. Pete Sampras took the crowd long into the dusk, with his five set agonizing loss to a courageous Alex Corretja. No one left their seats, giving the then 13 times Grand Slam winner the respect he deserved.

James Blake and Todd Martin took control of the tie with their straight sets doubles win over Juan-Manuel Balcells and Alberto Martin. Some dedicated JB fans even turned up wearing afros to the match!

Every ace Andy served in Davis Cup competition that year went to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Hence the yellow block of the stands on the Sunday, as all the Netheads wore bright yellow, ‘Vive Lance’ t-shirts.

Going into the final day of play with a 2-1 lead, Andy was given the chance to put the USA into the semi finals. In a thrilling and highly charged, energetic match, Andy did just that! He took out Alberto Martin in three sets. Andy could hardly control his excitement as victory drew near. When he finally tasted the sweetness of the win, he collapsed to the floor making grass angels, before throwing himself on his Captain, Patrick McEnroe.

After the match, Andy commented: ‘I freaked out a little bit during Davis Cup. I mean, it’s just the emotion of playing for your country, and the crowd going nuts and, you know, playing for your team mates, it’s just a rush. And, you know, it’s just a great feeling.’

The team completed a lap of honor after Andy’s victory and, before the final rubber was suspended due to rain. Andy finished his weekend, with an autograph session for all the fans, giving everyone a chance to get one of the four heroes autograph.