UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Andy Roddick's record-breaking 150 mph serve set the tone for his lopsided victory that gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Austria on Friday in a best-of-five first-round Davis Cup series.
Teammate Robby Ginepri beat Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (6-8), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, becoming the first U.S. rookie in the 105-year history of the Davis Cup to win after dropping the first two sets.
In the second match, U.S. Open champion Roddick set a standard for serving speed and overwhelmed Stefan Koubek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in 11/2 hours.
"The first couple of games, I glanced at the radar," Roddick said. "When I opened up with a buck-fifty, I thought, "That's out of the ordinary.' "
Roddick and Greg Rusedski shared the mark of 149 mph.
Captain Patrick McEnroe took a chance with Ginepri, 21, who turned pro in 2001. McEnroe bypassed James Blake, Mardy Fish and Taylor Dent, who are a combined 10-7 in Davis Cup matches.
"I didn't come up with the goods in the first two sets, but I hung in there and took it," Ginepri said. "Playing for the country for the first time - there's no other experience out there that teaches you how to deal with that."
The Americans can advance to face defending champion Australia or Sweden by winning today's doubles match.
Other Cup highlights:
- Thomas Enqvist gave Sweden a 1-0 lead over defending champion and host Australia, defeating Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, but Lleyton Hewitt tied it by routing Davis Cup rookie Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.
- Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian won to carry Argentina to a 2-0 lead against Morocco in Agadir, Morocco. Hicham Arazi retired with a strained leg against Nalbandian. Arazi is likely to be replaced in doubles today by Mehdi Tahiri, ranked No. 611.
- Roger Federer, the Australian Open champion, struggled in the first set before defeating Victor Hanescu 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-1 to give Switzerland a tie at 1 with Romania in Bucharest, Romania.
- Leander Paes returned to singles with a win, tying India and host New Zealand at 1. In August Paes was treated for a brain infection that temporarily blinded him.
WILLIAMS SISTERS HURTING: Serena Williams, recovering from left knee surgery in August, withdrew from the Gaz de France tournament that begins Monday. Williams hasn't played since winning Wimbledon in July. Top-seeded Venus Williams withdrew from her quarterfinal match against Chanda Rubin in the Pan Pacific Open because of an injured leg.
RUSEDSKI UPDATE: Greg Rusedski will not allow the World Anti-Doping Agency to attend his hearing in Montreal on Monday for a positive steroid test. He will appear before an independent tennis panel to explain why he tested positive for nandrolone in July.
