Davis Cup review

DUMPED! 8226; Holders Australia and 2002 champions Russia were unceremoniously dumped out of the Davis Cup in the first round. Australia fe...

DUMPED!

8226; Holders Australia and 2002 champions Russia were unceremoniously dumped out of the Davis Cup in the first round. Australia fell at the first hurdle for the second time in three years after Sweden avenged their 5-0 quarterfinal whitewash last year to snatch a 4-1 win in Adelaide. Russia were stunned 3-2 by World Group newcomers Belarus.

THE ONES THAT STAYED AFLOAT

8226; Teenager Rafael Nadal beat Radek Stepanek 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 on Sunday to seal Spain8217;s heroic 3-2 comeback win over the Czech Republic in their Davis Cup World Group first round tie. The US has it easier, beating Austria 5-0, as did Argentina over lowly Morocco.

MATCHING THE BLAST

8226; Andy Roddick unleashed a 241.4 kph second serve ace as a dream weekend for the United States culminated in a 5-0 Davis Cup whitewash over Austria on Sunday. Roddick, who on Friday set a record for the world8217;s fastest serve ever at 241.4 kph 150mph, matched it twice at the Mohegan Sun Arena as he blitzed Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-2 in a reverse singles tie.

RODDICKSPEAK: I was going for it, I think that second serve was the best one I hit. I do trust this measuring system. It8217;s new but it is supposed to be more accurate than normal.

THE FASTEST FIVE

Andy Roddick US 150/241.4 in 2004

Andy Roddick US 149/239.7 in 2003

Greg Rusedski Britain 149/239.7 in 1998

Taylor Dent US 144/232 in 2001

Mark Philippoussis Aus 142.3/229 in 1997

SAVED BY THE BELL

8226; French coach Guy Forget says he could have lost his job if France hadn8217;t won against Croatia8230;

8216;8216;I felt under pressure. It8217;s something I can8217;t let go. If we had not won the tie, there would have been only one person responsible for it 8212; me. And this is despite the results I8217;ve had. I8217;m getting hopping mad. There is a campaign against me, against Jean-Claude Massias the technical national director and against all those who are on the pitch. I8217;m not in a personal war against the president of the federation Christian Bimes. I don8217;t want to be elected as president, I8217;m not interested in politics. Christian Bimes won8217;t like what I said.8217;8217; 8212; Agencies