AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Everything about the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the United States and Spain is built to favor the Americans.
The sellout crowd in Andy Roddick's hometown of Austin, Texas is sure to be a rowdy, flag-waving bunch. The indoor surface at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas plays hard and fast.
And subtract Spain's Rafael Nadal, the No. 2 player in the world who is skipping the quarterfinal to rest after Wimbledon, and the Americans are feeling very good about their chances of knocking off a Spanish team playing for its third Davis Cup championship in four years.
The best-of-five quarterfinal begins Friday with singles matches. Mardy Fish and Feliciano Lopez play in the first match and Roddick meets David Ferrer in the second.