USA Names Isner, Querrey and Bryan Bros To Davis Cup Team
February 19, 2010
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., February 17, 2010 — The USTA and U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe announced today that John Isner, Sam Querrey and the world’s top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan will represent the United States in the 2010 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas first round match against Serbia, March 5-7, on an indoor clay court at the Beogradska Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.
Isner will be making his Davis Cup debut and Querrey will make his second appearance on the U.S. Davis Cup team, having played in the 2008 semifinal versus Spain in Madrid. This is the first time since 2000 that neither Andy Roddick nor James Blake will be on the U.S. Davis Cup roster – a span of 25 Davis Cup ties.
“We are very excited about John and Sam joining the Bryans to lead our Davis Cup team,” said U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe, who has led the U.S. to a 16-8 record since taking over the team in 2001 and is now second all-time for most wins by a U.S. Davis Cup Captain behind Tom Gorman (18).
“Both guys have really stepped up their games and are more than ready to take on the challenge of going on the road to face Serbia. We have had great commitment from our players in the past and expect the same from John and Sam in the years ahead.”
The United States and Serbia have never faced each other in Davis Cup competition. The U.S. reached the Davis Cup quarterfinals last year, defeating Switzerland in the first round, before losing at Croatia. The United States holds a 208-63 all-time Davis Cup record and the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989.
Serbia retained a place in the World Group after losing to eventual champion Spain in the first round last year by defeating Uzbekistan in the World Group Playoff last September. The country first began Davis Cup competition in 2007, formerly competing as Serbia & Montenegro (2004-2006), and before that Yugoslavia (1927-2003).Tennis Channel will provide daily coverage of the event.
The U.S. vs. Serbia winner will face either Ecuador or Croatia in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, July 9-11. If the United States beats Serbia, they will be guaranteed to host the July quarterfinal.The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country’s No. 1 singles player against the No. 2 player from the opposing country. The pivotal doubles match is played Saturday, followed by Sunday’s “reverse singles,” starting with each country’s No. 1 player squaring off followed by the No. 2 players in the fifth and final match.
Isner, 24, will be making his Davis Cup debut and at 6-foot-9 becomes the tallest player in U.S. Davis Cup history. He will become the 136th person to represent the U.S. in the event, which began in 1900. Isner served as a Davis Cup practice partner twice in 2007. Isner is currently playing the best tennis of his young pro career, defeating Andy Roddick en route to the fourth round at the 2009 US Open, capturing his first ATP World Tour title in Auckland, New Zealand, in January, and then reaching the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open to become the No. 2 ranked American in men’s tennis. He turned professional after an outstanding four-year career at the University of Georgia, leading the Bulldogs to the 2007 NCAA team title as a senior. He was runner-up at the 2007 NCAA singles championships and won the 2005 NCAA doubles title a year after reaching the finals as a freshman.
Querrey, 22, is making his second appearance on the U.S. Davis Cup having played in the 2008 semifinal versus eventual Davis Cup champion Spain and was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic tennis team. Querrey is 0-2 in Davis Cup and made his debut against then World No. 1 Rafael Nadal on clay in Madrid, losing in four sets. Querrey had a breakout season last year with a personal-best 41-23 singles record. He rose to a career-high No. 22 in the world and won the Olympus US Open Series last summer. Querrey won his second singles title on the ATP World Tour at the L.A. Tennis Open in July (one of five appearances in ATP World Tour singles finals last year). Last week, he won his first pro doubles title in San Jose, Calif., with Mardy Fish.
Bob Bryan, 31, half of the world’s top-ranked doubles team, holds a 16-2 record in Davis Cup doubles with twin brother, Mike, and is 4-2 in singles. The Bryans’ win at the 2009 Davis Cup first round versus Switzerland put them first all-time in U.S. Davis Cup history with 15 doubles wins as a team. They are also the only brothers to pair in victory for the U.S. Davis Cup team. The Bryans won the 2010 Australian Open doubles title – their 57th tour-level doubles titles together, making them the most successful sibling doubles team in the Open Era. Bob also owns six major mixed doubles titles, including the 2009 French Open title with Liezel Huber.
Mike Bryan, 31, has played every doubles match for the U.S. Davis Cup team since he and his twin brother, Bob, joined the team in September 2003. Mike holds a 17-2 record in doubles, one more win than his brother, after partnering with Mardy Fish in the 2008 semifinal against Spain – the only time either brother played doubles in Davis Cup without his sibling. The Bryan brothers currently share the No. 1 doubles ranking and finished four of the past five years as the top-ranked doubles team in the world. They won their eighth career major doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open. Mike has 59 career ATP doubles titles and won the 2002 US Open and 2003 French Open mixed doubles titles with Lisa Raymond.
Founded in 1900, the Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition with 125 nations competing this year. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles.
Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
