Bryan brothers could clinch tie

Originally Published: September 24, 2004

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- It couldn't have been scripted better. As Davis Cup captain you want your No. 1 player to start off the day, and a guy like Andy Roddick allows you to set the tone for the whole weekend.

The luck of the draw -- literally out of a hat -- worked in the United States' favor. Roddick did exactly what he needed to do Friday. He was heavily favored against Vladimir Voltchkov. Yet, Roddick never showed any sign of nerves and never allowed Voltchkov to think he could work his way back into the match.

For American No. 2 Mardy Fish, it was a different story. The Belarussians knew coming in that they needed to beat Fish on the opening day to have any chance of winning this Davis Cup semifinal. They had a good chance with Max Mirnyi. It would not have been surprising if Mirnyi had won the match or pushed it to a fifth set. Instead, Fish kept his composure, while facing break points in the fourth set, and fought from 0-30 down in the final game to win the match 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider