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JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT Sunday, February 10, 2008 VIENNA, Austria The United States Davis Cup Team will be coming back to Winston-Salem in just more than two months and no one sounds happier about the prospect than Patrick McEnroe, the team captain. The United States and France wrapped up their first-round victories yesterday with wins in doubles and the two teams will meet in the quarterfinals at Joel Coliseum, April 11-13. "I think it would be a tremendously exciting match, because France has a great team...great young players, obviously (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga with a great Australian Open. They have an excellent doubles team. So I think not only do they have a great team, but great individual players and a lot of flair in their team. Playing in Winston-Salem, which is where we played Spain last year, was an incredible environment. We're looking for that same kind of scene this year." The Americans wrapped up the win when Bob and Mike Bryan defeated Austria's Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to give the U.S. team an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five, first-round series. The U.S. became the first nation to reach the quarters. France took a 3-0 lead against Romania when Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra defeated Floria Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-2 in Sibiu, Romania. "I am glad we finished off the job on the second day," McEnroe said. "It was a tough draw. "Both singles were extremely difficult, but the guys were mentally very strong in handling the circumstances." The U.S. beat Spain 4-1 in the quarterfinals at Joel Coliseum last Easter weekend. They went on to defeat Sweden in the semifinals and Russia in the final in Portland, Ore., last December. Andy Roddick and James Blake won opening singles matches Friday against Melzer and Stefan Koubek. McEnroe has not decided which players he'll use for today's reverse singles. Roddick had some trouble with his right knee against Melzer and was unlikely to play. "The Bryans were at their very best," said Knowle, a U.S. Open doubles champion. "There was just nothing to gain for us. They outplayed us in every department of the game and we were miles away from winning." The Bryans won 12 of the first 14 points for a 3-0 lead. Bob Bryan double-faulted at 3-1 but Knowle put a volley wide on the only break point the Austrians got in the match. Melzer dropped serve again at 4-1 and Mike Bryan held to love to take the first set. An early break of Melzer's serve was enough for the Bryans to win the second set. "It came pretty easy and we were never under the gun," Mike Bryan said. "We sustained our aggressive mentality throughout the match and never felt big pressure." The Americans raced ahead 4-0 in the third set and wrapped up the victory on their first match point on Mike Bryan's serve. "I expected them to bring out their best today," Bob Bryan said. "So I was surprised by the way things went." Melzer dropped serve four times. "If they have a weakness, it could be their return game," he said. "But today, they were returning incredibly well. That put a lot of pressure on our serve all the time." Austria captain Gilbert Schaller defended the decision to play on slow indoor clay. "Melzer broke Roddick's serve several times and came close to winning," Schaller said. "He wouldn't have had so many chances on a different surface." Austria has not won in the World Group since 1995. It will enter the playoff round in September in an attempt to not drop to a lower level. "We are too good for the Europe-Africa zone, but we are not good enoug for the World Group," Schaller said. "These are the facts."
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