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Finally, Russians Reach Davis Cup Finals

Andy Roddick was down 0-2 in his match against Russian Dmitry Tursunov, but would hustle back to serve for the match in the fifth set, leading 6-5. But the game was nowhere near ending. The little known Russian player sent the fourth Davis Cup match between the United States and Russia to 72 games in total, finally winning 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15. The Russian team will meet Argentina in the finals in December.

The young Tursunov , who was a surprise selection to the team, was cheered by 10,000 at Olympic Stadium. The crowd in turn saw the longest fifth set played in World Group history, tying the mark set by Michael Westphal of Germany and Tomas Smid of Czechoslovakia in 1985. Finally, in the 32nd game, Roddick hit a forehand into the net at 30-30, and Tursunov converted on the match point with a backhand winner down the line.

The last time the Americans won the David Cup was 1995. ?Davis Cup losses are the toughest because you are not playing for selfish motives,? Roddick said. ?You feel like you let your country and your teammates down. But credit to Dmitry. I was surprised he was selected, and he played with a lot more consistency that I expected. He had a rough day in the doubles on Saturday, and the way he bounced back is testimony to how much he has improved.?