DAVIS CUP TENNIS Roddick leads U.S. to opening round sweep against Austria

The Americans will face Sweden next in a quarterfinal match.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- Patrick McEnroe made one thing perfectly clear when he replaced his brother John as U.S. Davis Cup captain in 2000: He wanted a roster of players eager to play in the event.
And he hoped to assemble a team in the truest sense, rather than a collection of individuals.
It looks as though his plan is coming together.
Led by Andy Roddick, a formidable U.S. team completed a 5-0 first-round sweep of Austria on Sunday. The players' camaraderie and passion for Davis Cup, not just their tennis talent, impress their captain.
"There's a lot of frivolity with this team. They have a good time. They get along well. It's not anything that we talk about. It is real," McEnroe said.
Enjoy playing together
"The bottom line is you have to be great tennis players. We all know that. But the fact that the guys enjoy it and like being around each other, and like being part of a team in a sort of a broader concept, is refreshing."
This group is pretty solid when it comes to the bottom line, too.
Roddick powered his way to two straight-set victories and set a record by hitting serves at 150 mph, the doubles team of twins Bob and Mike Bryan breezed through their match, and Robby Ginepri became the first U.S. rookie in Davis Cup history to win after dropping the first two sets.
"It excites Patrick, like it does the rest of us, that we have a pretty young core of guys who are very willing and very eager to play," said Roddick, who beat Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday. "So I only see our team getting better as the years go on."
First, though, the Americans will try to get to the semifinals by beating Sweden at home in April. The other quarterfinal matchups are: Belarus vs. Argentina, Switzerland vs. France, and Netherlands vs. Spain.
Sweden beat Australia
Sweden advanced by knocking off defending champion Australia 4-1. The Swedes have won the Davis Cup seven times, including a 5-0 victory over the United States in the 1997 final.
"We are going to be tested against them," McEnroe said. "But I certainly like our chances, especially playing at home."
He's trying to lead his team to its 32nd Davis Cup title -- and first since 1995. That's the longest drought for the country since the 11-year gap between victories in 1926 and 1937.
In the 1995 final against Russia, Pete Sampras won two singles matches and the doubles. He also helped win the 1992 title, while Andre Agassi was on three Davis Cup championship teams.
But both played only sporadically later in their careers, with Agassi last a member of the team in 2000. John McEnroe cited an inability to get those two stars to play Davis Cup regularly as a reason for stepping down after just 14 months as captain.
"When I first started this, the only question I was asked is, 'How come Sampras and Agassi don't play?' " Patrick McEnroe said Sunday. "I said, 'Well, I am interested in the guys that want to play.' Because those are the guys you are going to build around."