Roddick desperate for Cup

Big-serving Roddick, the world number six, will spearhead the American challenge against the defending champions when the three-day tie starts on Friday in Portland.

"I went to my first Davis Cup tie, the '92 final, when I was nine or 10 years old," Roddick said at Memorial Coliseum. "I saw possibly the greatest Davis Cup team ever play and win there."

Tennis greats John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier earned the United States a 3-1 victory over Switzerland in that year's final in Fort Worth, Texas.

"It really struck a chord with me and I've always been excited about Davis Cup," added Roddick, who made his debut in the global team competition as an 18-year-old in 2001.

"It's always been a huge priority for me and it's been on my list of goals to accomplish, the top couple of things since I started. I'm glad to be here."

The 25-year-old Texas resident will team up with James Blake and the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, as the Americans seek their first Davis Cup triumph since 1995 on clay in Moscow.

Roddick has beaten Russia's top player, Nikolay Davydenko, in their five career meetings but is prepared to sacrifice that record for the team cause.

"I couldn't care less if I extend the streak," the 2003 US Open champion said. "If I lose to him and I lose to everybody else and we win, I don't really care. It's about the culmination of a year.

"Obviously, it would be nice to get a win but we're here to get three points as a team. That's the goal."

Blake, the world number 13, is excited about what could be achieved by the US team.

"We have an opportunity to do something great, bring the Cup back here for the first time since '95," he said. "We're doing our best to bring the landscape back to the positive atmosphere it had in the years of Sampras, Agassi, Courier.

"But it is a difficult situation when we're dealing with following the greatest generation probably in the history of American tennis.

"I think there are a lot of positives we have to look for. We have Andy Roddick, who finished the year No. 1 in the world before the dominance of Roger Federer and was probably considered the best player in the world at that time.

"We have the best doubles team in the world. By the time they're done, there's a chance they'll be the best doubles team ever. We've got a lot of positives to look forward to."

The Americans are hosting the Davis Cup final for the first time since they beat Switzerland in 1992.