Betfair Official Blog

Davis Cup Preview

- featuring Czech Republic v USA

Last month the Australian Open was the main attraction but this first full week in February, the focus switches to team action in the shape of the Davis Cup.

Russia are the holders and they start their defence in Chile, but in Europe the big tie sees the Czech Republic take on the United States in Ostrava.

Tomas Berdych will spearhead the Czech challenge knowing he must overcome Andy Roddick and James Blake in the singles if his team are to have a chance of taking this first-round tie, especially with Australian Open champions Mike and Bob Bryan in the doubles for USA.

United States captain Patrick McEnroe has named the same team that reached the semi-finals last year before losing to Russia.

Berdych couldn't have picked a better time to face world No 4 Roddick, who is still getting that Roger Federer semi-final pounding in Melbourne out of his system.

But against that the Americans are thirsting to end the longest Davis Cup drought in their history. They have won the Cup a record 31 times but have not lifted the trophy since 1995.

The prize for the winners is a second-round tie at home to Spain or Switzerland in April.

In Roddick, Berdych knows he will be facing a player with a record of 20 wins from 29 contests since his debut in 2000.

Blake, the world number 6, is just as tough and retained his Medibank title in Sydney before reaching the fourth-round in Melbourne.

World number 12 Berdych is backed up by Lukas Dlouhy, Ivo Minar and Pavel Vizner in the sixth Davis Cup clash between the two teams with the USA leading 4-1.

But it isn't quite the forgone conclusion it appears with the contest having gone to the deciding rubber on the last three occasions.

The man from Valasske Meziric is the key for the Czechs. Berdych has met Roddick just once, winning their last 16 clash in the 2006 Madrid Masters 7-6 6-3.

But he has met Blake twice - and lost both times. That was in last year's US Open 6-4 6-3 6-1 and in the 2005 Washington tournament 6-4 6-3.

The 6ft 5in 21-year-old is going to have his work cut out to overcome both Americans, but a partisan crowd in the 7,500 capacity CEZ Arena may give Jaroslav Navratil's team the lift he needs if the tie is to stay alive into the third day next weekend ((Feb 9-11).

The Czechs are trading at 2.14 to win the tie, with the US seen by Betfair punters as the favourites at 1.2. USA are currently available at 6.4 to win the Davis Cup in 2007, while the Czechs are 30 in a market headed by Argentina (5.5).

The eight World Group first-round ties (Feb 9-11) are:

Chile v Russia
France v Romania
Germany v Croatia
Belgium v Australia
Czech Republic v USA
Switzerland v Spain
Belarus v Sweden
Austria v Argentina