Davis Cup News
Alix Ramsay  |  December 04 , 2004

A point. Hurrah! The USA is off and running. Well, not quite, but Bob and Mike Bryan did their bit to give the team a fighting chance, spare Patrick McEnroe's blushes and keep the Davis Cup final alive going into the third day. They beat Tommy Robredo and Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Actually, they did more than beat the Spaniards, they absolutely walloped them.

Only six teams have ever come back from 2-1 down in a Davis Cup final and for the US to do it here would take a monumental effort and not a little luck. Patrick McEnroe is talking a good fight - he is the captain, he has to - and is still pushing the party line: The show ain't over until someone wins three matches.

"We know what we're up against," McEnroe said. "But by no means do we think we're out of it. We didn't think that last night. We didn't think that this morning. We don't think that now. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility to beat these guys. We're the underdog but we've been the underdog from the minute we landed here. But we believe we can do it. It is possible.

"We're going to have to pour our guts out there, and we're prepared to do that. I mean, Andy did that yesterday and came up a little short. But, you know, a swing or two here or there, we could be up 2-1. But we're not. So, you know, to me there's no reason why we can't come out tomorrow, if Andy can win, it's 2-All, we're in with a shot."

The fact that Team USA has another chance has cheered Roddick up immensely and he let everyone know it. "Andy came up to us an said: Thanks for giving me another shot," Bob Bryan said. "Andy's excited to have another shot out there on the clay. I'm really confident in Andy winning that first match. Then, you know, anything can happen in the fifth match".

Jordi Arrese, the Spain captain, had opted to bring in Ferrero for doubles and so rest Rafael Nadal after his epic win over Andy Roddick on Friday. Presumably Arrese is now thinking of playing Nadal rather than Ferrero if the match comes own to the fifth and final rubber on Sunday - and that will do little for Mardy Fish's confidence.

Although Ferrero was not going to make a public fuss over his omission from the singles line up, it was clear he was furious. On Friday he had watched Carlos Moya and Nadal win their matches but he had done it on his own. Sitting apart from the rest of the team, he did not join in the celebrations over Nadal's win until the very end - and even then he was half-hearted in his response to the situation. Four years ago he had been the hero of the Davis Cup final, now he was being upstaged by a teenager.

But when Ferrero did get his chance to play, he was useless. He regards doubles as an unnecessary evil and avoids them at all costs. He has played with Robredo before - albeit sporadically - but in 12 tournaments spread over three years, he and Robredo have won a paltry three matches. And against the Bryans - or Los Bryans as the Spanish call them - they never looked likely to improve upon that record. To make matters worse, Robredo had been practising with Nadal all week so was taken aback to find himself mopping up after Ferrero instead.

Poor Robredo. He could not take his eyes off Ferrero for fear of what his partner would do next. Trying to coax him into the net would not work - and with Ferrero's volleying ability, it would not have been wise - but trying to keep track of where he was, where he was going and what he was trying to do was proving hard work. As Bob Bryan pointed out: "We have played a lot of doubles than they have. We exploited their doubles skills." Oh, how they exploited them.

The first set came and went in the twinkling of an eye as Los Bryans were all over the Spaniards like a rash - or like a 'sarpadillo'. The second set brought much of the same save for one highlight to cheer the hearts of the local crowd - Robredo held serve. It had taken him 58 minutes to do it, but finally he managed to keep a grip of his serve. It id not last, though, as Los Bryans started playing exhibition stuff as they raced away with the victory.

To forfeit the doubles point - and the chance to win the tie outright - by playing Ferrero had been a tactical ploy by Arrese. His main singles players were now fully rested for the final day while Ferrero had at least got a taste of the atmosphere on court. That could be useful if he is called upon to play in the fifth rubber. So did he think he had been used by Arrese?

"If I say yes to the question, of course that would not be good for the team," Ferrero said carefully. "Let me just say that I am here. I am part of the team. The first day it was not considered appropriate that I play, and it was considered appropriate that I played today in the doubles match because Rafael is tired and because he had a very long match yesterday.

"I went to the match very motivated, very excited about it because I also played with Tommy before many times in a doubles match. We played well, but not well enough. They did a very good job and played much better than us. That's the answer to the question."

Arrese clearly has a plan while McEnroe only has a point. Now it all comes down to what Roddick has left to give.

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