By DPA
Portland (Oregon) : The weekend’s 4-1 Davis Cup title win over Russia can become the building block for future success, according to the US team skipper Patrick McEnroe.
Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan brother combined over Friday and Saturday to put the tie out of reach as the Americans won a record 32nd title in the competition.
In dead singles rubbers played for pride Sunday, Igor Andreev got Russia’s lone point as he beat doubles specialist Bob Bryan 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Blake dropped the first set quickly but rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Dmitry Tursunov in the afternoon after one hour, 40 minutes, with two aces in the concluding game for a total of 13.
The US clinched its first trophy in 12 years Saturday through a doubles victory from Bryan and his twin brother Mike over Nikolay Davydenko and Andreev for an unbeatable 3-0 lead.
Blake was the only man to win two matches on a weekend, which the American believes could mark a turning point in his career. The last player to win two matches in a final was Carlos Moya in 2004 when Spain beat the US in Seville.
“The first set was a wakeup call,” admitted Blake, who fortified himself with a handful of popcorn stolen from the cup of sparring partner Robby Ginepri sitting courtside at mid-match.
Victory in the final was the first for the hosts since 1999, when Pete Sampras led the US past Russia on clay in Moscow.
Roddick, sixth in the world, acknowledges that he first got his inspiration to play in the tournament by attending a long-ago final in Fort Worth, Texas between the US and Switzerland as an impressionable 10-year-old.
McEnroe hopes that his current crop of players may have done the same for some future here with their winning appearances this season in Winston-Salem, North Carolina last April and the success this weekend here.
“I certainly think that there’s only positives that can come out of it,” he said. “Remember, Andy went to the Davis Cup final in 1992, and that was one of the things that spurred him on to become a tennis player.
“The Bryans went and watched in La Costa (California) when they were, what, 10, 11 years old, and that made a big difference in their life growing up as juniors,” he added.
“If we could have affected a couple of kids here or in Winston-Salem or wherever we’ve been the last few years, I think we’ve done our job.”
Blake said his weekend “worked out well this time.”
“This has been a great journey. Seven years of ups and downs. It’s great to feel like it worked out this year.”
Roddick said it had been a thrill to for once put personal goals aside and win one for a team.
“Winning the US Open, trying to compete for Slams, you’re playing for a lot of selfish reasons,” he said.
“To come in here and to share this with these guys and to have developed the friendships and everything that goes along with it, the laughs and the tears, it’s just amazing.”