Davis Cup Preview: Get Your Pride On

The U.S. Davis Cup Team has some work to do. Seeded eight in the World Group, they will host Romania in the first round tie from February 8 – 12 in La Jolla, California. The U.S. squad features Andy Roddick and James Blake on singles duty, with Bob and Mike Bryan anchoring the doubles.

Roddick, who carries a 17-6 record in Davis Cup singles, is ever eager to help his team win. Blake has a 6-3 record in Davis Cup singles and recently earned a career high ranking of No. 20 in the world. Bob and Mike Bryan are the No. 1 ranked doubles team. Not only do they carry a 6-1 record in Davis Cup doubles, but they are also coming off a big two weeks in Melbourne where they won the Australian Open doubles title. The Romanian squad includes Victor Hanescu (No. 40) and Andrei Pavel (No. 82) on singles and Razvan Sabau (No. 104) and Horia Tecau (No. 401) on doubles. Roddick has a combined 4-1 record against Hanescu, while Blake is 3-1.

In speaking about the tie, U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe said, “Our guys are eager to bring the Davis Cup back to the U.S. I feel our chances to win this year are as good as anyone’s, but we are expecting a tough fight from the Romanian team. It is going to be a great atmosphere. The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club has done a first-class job transforming their facility for us.”

The USTA selected the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club as the site for this first round tie between the U.S. and Romania. This marks the first time since 1996 that Davis Cup will be played in the San Diego, California area. La Jolla, pronounced “La Hoy-Ya,” which means “The Jewel” is not simply a beach town. Famous residents include Dr. Seuss, actor Gregory Peck, author Anne Rice and many others. The PGA Tour Buick Invitational is held at the Torrey Pines Golf Course located in La Jolla every February. The University of California, San Diego is the most popular university in the vicinity.
Located on one of Southern California’s only private beaches, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is a fourth-generation family owned and operated 14-acre resort. The resort includes three properties, namely the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, the 128-room Sea Lodge hotel with an oceanic view and the Marine Room restaurant, and features 14 championship tennis courts, a nine-hole Par-3 golf course, two swimming pools, two additional oceanfront restaurants and cocktail lounges.

The United States has previously won the Davis Cup 31 times. In contrast, the Romanians have never won it but have been runners-up in 1969, 1971 and 1972. Should the U.S. defeat Romania in the first round, they will host either Chile or Slovakia in the quarter finals in April. The United States has played Romania four times before, and has a 4-0 record against them. The last time these two teams met was in 1984, and the U.S. dominated with a commanding 5-0 win.

A 4-0 record is an excellent start. Here’s hoping for 5-0.
Go Andy! Go Team USA!