Americans Get off the Schneid in Dusseldorf, Beat Japan

By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images

(May 24, 2012)—Ryan Harrison got the ball rolling for the downtrodden Americans today, with a 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Tatsuma Ito of Japan, then he paired with James Blake to clinch the tie for the Americans over Japan.

It was the first victory for the Americans at the Power Horse World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, after losing their two previous ties and all six of their previous matches.

Harrison, the current world No. 59, saved all three break points he faced against Ito, and he came through in a tiebreaker after a tense second set that featured zero breaks of serve.

On the day, Harrison won a stellar 38 of 44 points on his first serve, and fired 8 aces.

Blake and Harrison overcame a slow start, on the doubles court, responding with a bagel against the Japanese pairing of Ito and Sato in the second set, then raced to a 10-3 triumph in the match tiebreak.

Andy Roddick lost to Go Soeda in straight sets in the dead rubber that followed. Roddick has failed to win a set in all three of his matches in Dusseldorf this week, not exactly a great sign for the American heading into his least favorite event.

In other action Tomas Berdych staked the Czechs to a 1-0 lead over Argentina in a battle of the two undefeated teams in the red group when he slipped past a feisty Carlos Berlocq in three sets, 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-3. Berdych saved each of the two break points he faced in a tense third set to earn the victory.

Serb Victor Troicki took out German Florian Mayer to give his team the edge in another battle of undefeated sides in blue group play today. Mayer missed out on three set point opportunities in the first set, then couldn’t muster another push against Troicki, who pounded 12 aces against Mayer in the 7-6(6), 6-3 victory.