U.S., Roddick bounce Czechs in Davis Cup

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- Andy Roddick beat Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) Sunday to give the United States a victory against the Czech Republic and a place in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.\nThe United States won the series 4-1 and will next play Spain on hard courts in Winston-Salem, N.C. It will be a rematch of the 2004 final in Seville, when the Spanish hosts beat the Americans on clay.\nRoddick is 8-0 in Davis Cup matches with victory on the line. With an overpowering serve and solid baseline game on the slow clay court, the fourth-ranked American overcame a partisan crowd and one of the game's rising stars.\nThe Americans had not won a Davis Cup World Group series on clay in a decade, but Roddick broke the streak when Berdych sent a return of serve into the net during the fourth-set tiebreaker.\n"We saw today why Andy Roddick is the fourth best player in the world," Czech coach Jaroslav Navratil said.\nIn the concluding match, which had no bearing on the outcome, Bob Bryan defeated Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (5), 6-4.\nThe United States leads all nations with 31 Davis Cup titles. But the Americans are looking to end their longest Davis Cup drought, which dates to 1995.\n"It is a statistic I don't like," the 24-year-old Roddick said. "Especially considering I have been on the team for my seventh year now."\nIn Friday's opening singles Berdych beat James Blake in four sets after Roddick downed Ivo Minar in four sets. The U.S. went up 2-1 Saturday on a doubles victory by twins Bob and Mike Bryan.\nOther World Group winners in the first round were: Sweden (at Belarus), Germany (home against Croatia), Spain (at Switzerland), France (home against Romania) and Argentina (at Austria). Visting Australia was tied 2-2 with Belgium, and defending champion Russia was 2-2 at Chile.\nThe Roddick-Berdych match featured two tall players wielding big serves.\nBerdych, ranked No. 12 in the world and his country's biggest star at 21, maintained the pressure, and Roddick was the first to crack. In the seventh game, the Czech hit a couple of baseline winners and sealed the game with a subtle drop ball. It was all he needed to win the opener.\nThe home crowd sensed a second singles victory from Berdych and the prospect of a decisive fifth match.\n"I played almost without mistakes in the first set. I got one chance and used it," Berdych said. "But then I started making mistakes and he improved his play."\nRoddick, however, seized the initiative. He broke at the first opportunity and suddenly the Czech was making errors. Roddick started winning the longer rallies and evened the score at one set apiece.\nRoddick broke again in the first game. His growing confidence silenced the crowd as its home player increasingly lost his touch. Berdych even lost his serve on a love game. In the fourth set, neither could figure out how to counter the other's serve until the tiebreaker.\nAt that point, Berdych showed his age and Roddick his experience. He drew the Czech into long, winning rallies, and after Berdych double-faulted, it was not long before Roddick raised his fists in victory.