Roddick, Blake, Bryans lead U.S. at ATP World Team Championship
Posted on May 19, 2008
DUSSELDORF, Germany -- The top tennis nations return to the Rochusclub for the 31st edition of the
ARAG ATP World Team Championship, a unique team event featuring eight countries in a round robin format during the week.
The ARAG ATP World Team Championship provides players with competitive tennis just one week
before the second Grand Slam of the season, Roland Garros, and the team aspect attracts the top ATP
stars, giving players the rare opportunity to combine forces with compatriots in a one-week event
that awards the winning country official bragging rights as the world's best.
The 31st edition of the international men's team competition introduces a new format, with ties to
be played over two days as opposed to previous editions in which nations have played on alternate
days. Under the new format, all eight teams will play daily on the two Center Courts at the Rochusclub.
AN IMPRESSIVE FIELD
The 2008 field features all four Davis Cup semifinalists: Argentina, Russia, Spain and the USA. Argentina and Davis Cup finalists Russia will face off in September, while Spain will confront reigning Davis Cup champions, the USA.
The members of last year's Davis Cup winning team -- Top 10 players Andy Roddick, James Blake,
and the top doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan -- are all in Dusseldorf this week. The US team, along with Germany, has played in all editions of the ARAG ATP World Team Championship.
Spain and the USA have each won the ARAG ATP World Team Championship four times, while defending champion Argentina has won the three times. Russia, represented this week by Top 30 stars
Mikhail Youzhny, Igor Andreev and Dmitry Tursunov, is making its first appearance in Dusseldorf since its third consecutive runner-up effort in 2002. Rounding out the elite eight tennis nations are four-time champions and host nation Germany, three-time champions Sweden, three-time finalists
the Czech Republic, and two-time finalists Italy.
TOP STARS FACE OFF
The format of the ARAG ATP World Team Championship ensures a high-quality of play, showcasing
marquee matches between the circuit's top stars from the start of the week and on both courts.
On Sunday, World No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain opened the action on Center Court I against
Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber while Russia's Mikhail Youzhny faced off against Italian Potito
Starace on Center Court II. Also Sunday, Czech Tomas Berdych played World No. 8 Blake.
Monday's singles matches include German Denis Gremelmayr against Spain's Feliciano Lopez and
Swede Thomas Johansson against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela. Germany and Spain are both looking
to avenge their Davis Cup quarterfinal losses.
-- Courtesy ATP World Tour
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