Pits for rivals

Americans criticize the court at the Olympic Stadium

On Friday, the semi-finals of the Davis Cup, where the national teams of Russia and the USA will meet, start at the capital's Olimpiyskiy sports complex. Yesterday the first press conference took place with the participation of tennis players from both teams. First, the Americans entered the verbal battle, who arrived in the Russian capital with the strongest squad - Andy Roddick, James Blake, as well as brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, led by captain Patrick McEnroe.

According to the forecasts of the American captain, a stubborn and even fight should be expected from the upcoming match meeting. Although he did not hide the fact that the team’s chances on the road are always slightly lower than those of the hosts. However, his players performed well at the recent US Open. As, indeed, are the Russians. “We have victories behind us. We were waiting for this match. And although it will be difficult in Moscow, we feel confident going into this game,” McEnroe said. - The Americans are completely clear about the distribution of roles, who will play individual and doubles matches - Roddick and Blake will be soloists, the Brian brothers will perform as a duet. “I don’t need to be a genius, like Tarpishchev, to think, combine, and in this sense it’s easier for me,” said the captain.

At the same time, he criticized the quality of the surface on the center court at the Olimpiysky. In his opinion, it is not very convenient for both Americans and Russians. “I wish the court was a little tougher. Now it is very loose, there are even holes, especially in the back. But I wouldn’t want the players to get injured at the end of the season,” the American complained.

The topic was continued by Andy Roddick, who honestly admitted that he had no idea what exactly the court would be like in Moscow and what to expect. “The bounce of the ball is somewhat unexpected,” he commented on his feelings after the training. “It feels like the soil was laid recently, and it is still far from perfect.” According to Roddick, before going to Moscow he talked with Pete Sampras. “I asked him what the stadium was like, what this country was like, because it was my first time going to Russia, what to expect from the public,” Andy said. “And what is the country like?” - the journalists asked the American. “I really like looking at Russian women. This is the most powerful impression I have experienced here so far,” he said.

The Russians who continued communicating with journalists - Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov, Mikhail Yuzhny and reserve Evgeniy Korolev, led by captain Shamil Tarpishchev - were in a good mood. They joked a lot, saying that by Friday the court would be in order, that this team was one of the strongest in the history of domestic tennis, and in general this would not be the last match in which it was destined to win. Toward the end, Safin made a completely sensational statement, saying that he plans to perform for another four years. In four years he will turn 30, and he will have to decide something. Running around the court at the age of thirty, plus flights and changing hotels, is not much pleasure. But maybe motivation will appear, and then Safin will hold out for a year or two. According to Safin, a successful performance at the Davis Cup will add motivation to him. Moreover, this is the main goal of the tennis player this year. “We have a strong team. It has its own poet - Tursunov writes memoirs, all nice guys. End of the season, my form has changed for the better, and so have the others in the top 100. There are all the prerequisites to finish this year strong and seriously prepare for the next one,” Marat said.

Olga ERMOLINA