Davis Cup - A-Rod gives USA dream start

The United States got off to a dream start in the Davis Cup final when Andy Roddick beat Dmitry Tursunov in straight sets in the first singles rubber.
Tursonov was playing in place of Nikolay Davydenko, who was excluded by Russia for the singles despite a good record against Roddick on account of poor recent form following match-fixing allegations.

Roddick lost to Tursunov in last year's semi-final but hit 24 aces to win in less than two hours at Memorial Coliseum.

Tursunov came back from three break points in the third game of the first set before being broken in the fifth after hitting a backhand wide.

Roddick squandered his first set point in the ninth game but held serve in a tight tenth that featured a further six set points take the lead.

The American number one and world number six broke his opponent in the third game of the second set before unleashing his 19th ace of the match to take it 6-4.

Urged on by a near-capacity crowd Roddick swept through the third set after breaking Tursunov in the first and fifth games to put the United States in early control of the three-day tie.

"I don't know if I felt relaxed," Roddick admitted afterwards. "I played through my nerves in the beginning.

"I knew I was going to be nervous and was hoping I could serve well and get through the game.

"James [Blake] can pull himself through but the crowd will help."

Blake faces Mikhail Youzhny later on Friday.

Holders Russia, who beat Argentina in last year's final in Moscow, have lost to the United States twice in three Davis Cup ties.

The Americans, winners of a record 31 Davis Cup titles, have not triumphed since 1995.