VOA常速英语2007年-US Hosts Russia in Davis Cup Tennis Final

By Steve Schy
Washington
29 November 2007

The United States Davis Cup Tennis Team will be gunning for its 32nd championship when it hosts defending champion Russia in a best-of-five final series starting Friday in Portland, Oregon.  As VOA's Steve Schy reports, it will be the first time the United States has hosted the final since 1992 in Fort¹ Worth, Texas, when current world number six Andy Roddick watched from the stands as a 10-year-old.

Excitement is high leading into the 61st Davis Cup final, with all of the available tickets at the 12,000 seat Memorial Coliseum selling out in just 30 minutes.  Andy Roddick will not be in the stands this time, as he leads a United States team trying to avenge² last year's semifinal loss to Russia.  He will be joined by 13th-ranked fellow-singles player James Blake and the top-ranked doubles pair of Bob and Mike Bryan.

Last year's semifinals were played on clay courts in Moscow, but this year the matches will be contested in Portland's Memorial Coliseum on a fast indoor hard-court surface.  James Blake says that should favor the host Americans. 

"Definitely³, I think that is going to play into our hands, which is the reason we have the home court advantage," he said.  "So we can make it perfect for our games.  And I think for Andy and myself, it is a great situation.  We love playing on 'indoor hard' and we have had some of our best results there."

Roddick has never won a Davis Cup title and he should be especially motivated after falling to Russia's Dmitry Tursunov, 17-15 last year in the fifth set of the decisive⁴ reverse-singles match. 

Tursunov will be back on a Russian squad⁵ led by fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko.  Rounding out Russia's announced roster⁶ will be Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Andreev.

Though the United States has won a record 31 Davis Cup titles, the most recent was back in 1995, when Pete Sampras led the team to victory over Russia on clay in Moscow.  The Bryan brothers say other countries have caught up with the United States.

"I think it is lucky to have it in the U.S., playing on our home soil," he noted⁷.  "You know, we have had a little bit of a drought⁸ here, but every other country in the world has stepped up and it's more even now, so we are feeling good to be in the finals.  A fast, slick court and we are going to be serving big, so it's going to be fun.  Everyone is really eager to win this one."

Both Davis Cup teams include the same players from the semifinals, when the United States advanced by downing Sweden, 4-1 and Russia edged Germany, 3-2.

1 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

2 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

3 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

4 decisive   

adj.决定性的，坚定的，果断的，决断的

参考例句：

• A decisive person acts quickly and often succeeds.果断的人行动迅速，常常成功。
• Man is a decisive factor in doing everything.人是做每件事情的决定性因素。

5 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

6 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 drought   

n.旱灾，干旱，久旱

参考例句：

• The plants are growing in again,despite the drought.尽管干旱，植物又长出来了。
• The ground is as hard as stone after the drought.长期干旱后土地硬得就像石头一样。