Davis Cup News
Alix Ramsay  |  December 05 , 2004

"Bottom line is: we have to get better." That was Andy Roddick's simple assessment of a weekend in which the United States, for all their hopes and hype, had been shown up as beginners on clay. Roddick had just been beaten 6-2, 7-6, 7-6 by Carlos Moya giving Spain an unassailable 3-1 lead.

"We just have to improve," Roddick went on. "It's not like we can do anything to prevent it. You know, there's really no miracle answer. We just have to deal with it and accept it and improve."

Unless the draw works to their advantage with plenty of home ties, the US are always going to have problems in Davis Cup. Roddick may be one of the best players in the world and he may have the biggest serve in the world, but put him on slow, red dirt and he struggles. And any team facing Roddick and his pals is going to force them to play on clay.

The fact that Spain also made him play in front of 27,200 screaming, excitable and slightly less than sober supporters probably did not help matters, either. The atmosphere was unlike anything Roddick had ever experienced before and he admitted that it got to him.

"It's no secret that it's an advantage to have a couple people for you, much less 27,000," he said. "I think the other day it shocked me a little bit. But today I was okay with it. You know, I really tried to block it out. I stayed pretty mellow today. Once I got past the initial shock of it, I was able kind of to settle in a little bit more."

But settled or not, he was no match for either Moya or Nadal - his conqueror on Friday - when it came to the complex business of structuring points on clay. He knew he had no hope of beating the Spaniards at their own game from the back of the court so he tried to attack. And then he would get caught.

Moya gave Roddick a simple but effective lesson in the art of clay court tennis during the first set. Moving him from side to side, he made Roddick look like an amateur. Pushed hither and thither, drawn in with drop shots and sent scuttling back with lobs, Roddick was running around in ever decreasing circles.

Life got a little better in the second and third sets as Roddick was at least able to keep pace with his opponent but when it came to the tiebreaks, it was Roddick who crumbled under the pressure. Moya may have had his moments in the past, choking away leads and wilting under the strain, but this was the Davis Cup final. This was different.

Four years ago, Moya was left out of the team as Spain won their first Davis Cup final in Barcelona. He was still working his way back from a serious back injury and with his ranking lurking in the low 40s, he could not compete with the likes of Juan Carlos Ferrero and Albert Costa for a spot in the singles line up.

He went to the Montjuic Stadium to support his friends but when he got there, he could not get in. With no official accreditation, he had to try and talk his way past the security barriers. Even when he was finally inside, he was still the forgotten man. He tried to call across to Alex Corretja when the victory celebrations began in the hope of getting an invitation to join in. Corretja just ignored him.

Since then he has waited and waited for his chance to share the glory of a Davis Cup win. He happily admits to being obsessed by thoughts of the final for the past few months, ever since he and his teammates beat France in the semi-final.

"Since I was not in the 2000 team, this was my biggest goal and my dream," Moya said. "Today it came true. When we managed to get in this tie almost two months ago, I started dreaming about it. All my efforts since then have been focused on today. And many, many times I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about today. So today was it. It was absolutely incredible. People have told me many times before that I was becoming completely obsessed with this tie, but I think it's good because it's my way of dealing with things. I get obsessed with things to reach the goals that I set myself to attain."

That obsession also gave Moya the mental edge. The final was a key moment in his career - it was his chance to be the hero and he was not going to miss it. It was not that Roddick did not want to win, it was just that he knew that he was always running uphill while Moya was being carried through to his goal on a wave of patriotic fervor. And when it came to the crunch in the tiebreaks, that made all the difference.

"I had all my expectations for many years set in a moment like today," Moya said. "I was mentally prepared for it. I told myself that I could not fail. I had told myself that if I didn't take this opportunity and win, I would not be a good player. So there was a lot of pressure on my shoulders. But it's part of the Davis Cup, as well. All that pressure is part of the game. Of course, I was nervous. I was nervous because there were so many people out there. The victory was needed and it was very important for me. But in my head, I was ready for it and I thought I would survive, and I did."

Mardy Fish salvaged a little pride, beating Tommy Robredo 7-6, 6-2 in the dead rubber, but by then the Spanish party had already started. It was all over, bar the hangovers. Spain had much to celebrate and the US had much to ponder.

"The bottom line is they were just better than us this weekend," Roddick said. "You can say whatever you want, but they came out, they took care of business. They beat us. It's as simple as that."

And somehow US Davis Cup players have to learn how to do just that on clay.

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