Andy Roddick returning to Davis Cup play
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After opting out of the Davis Cup in 2010, America’s top-ranked men’s singles player Andy Roddick announced Thursday that he would rejoin the U.S. team for the 2011 campaign.
Roddick will be playing for new team captain Jim Courier, who is succeeding longtime captain Patrick McEnroe.
The U.S. will open 2011 Davis Cup play against Chile March 4-6 on red clay courts in Santiago.
“I’m very excited to be back on the U.S. Davis Cup team,” Roddick said. “I have always said that Davis Cup is something you should commit to for the entire season and not when it is convenient. Trying to win the Davis Cup again is a top priority for me in 2011. Nothing compares to the atmosphere of playing a Davis Cup match and representing your country.”
‘Having Andy commit to the 2011 campaign is huge for our team,’ Courier said. ‘Andy not only brings his outstanding Davis Cup record but also his experience and team leadership, which will be invaluable to our efforts. On a personal note, I am very excited to get the opportunity to sit on the bench with Andy and help him continue to perform at his very best on the Davis Cup stage.’
Roddick holds a 31-11 record in Davis Cup play (all singles matches) and is second all-time in U.S. Davis Cup singles victories (behind John McEnroe with 41).
He is second all-time in most consecutive years played on the U.S. Davis Cup team, competing for nine years from 2001-09 (tied with Todd Martin and behind McEnroe, who competed for 11 consecutive years).
“I look forward to working with Jim next season,” Roddick said. “It will be strange to be sitting next to someone other than Patrick on the bench, but I have a great deal of respect for Jim. He is a fierce competitor and I know he holds Davis Cup in the same esteem that I do. He had so many memorable Davis Cup victories, but the one that will always stick with me most is when he clinched the title for the United States in 1992, since I was in Fort Worth to see that match in person as a kid.”
-- Diane Pucin