Operation Doubles Tennis: Davis Cup: Roddick Puts US into Quarterfinals

The US Davis Cup team made it into the quarterfinals with Andy Roddick's defeat of the Czech Republic's No.1, Tomas Berdych, in four sets.

The first set was close, with each man holding serve till the seventh game, in which the netcord gave a service break to the Czech, who then closed out the set 6-4.

Berdych played well and perhaps on another day....

But Roddick's confidence was in no way shaken. He felt he "was hitting the ball pretty well" and even told his captain that between sets. Roddick then played with heightened intensity in the early part of the second set.

Just what the doctor ordered. Not that Andy had played without intensity earlier. To the contrary. What I mean is that he really bore down and became aggressive at this crucial moment. The ability to do that - to even know WHEN to do that - is a mark of a true competitor. Frankly, I think that's what meant by "the killer instinct."

Serving aces and hitting winners, Roddick broke Berdych in the second game. Thus Andy undermined the Chech's confidence, giving him the idea that, oh well, maybe this wasn't his day to beat the world's No.4 after all.

Which is wrong, but that's what the mind does. So, Berdych's level of play went down and the match was never after seriously in doubt.

“My plan was to play more aggressively than two days ago” Roddick said afterwards, “hit firmer balls because I knew he [Berdych] was good at being aggressive and if I had given him a chance, this could have turned into a very-very long day for me.”

I think so. Andy can sometimes be faulted for poor strategy, but here he was doing it right. He knew just when to put the pressure on, during that little letdown of relaxation Berdych had to have at the beginning of the second set.

Download the scorecard for this match: Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Andy Roddick (USA) (PDF 212 KB)

Here are how the other battles went.