Americans optimistic about Davis Cup despite absence of Roddick, Blake

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American Isner remains hopeful about Davis Cup

MELBOURNE, Australia — John Isner is confident the United States can perform well in the Davis Cup this year despite the absence of No. 7 Andy Roddick and No. 45 James Blake.

“We’ll be underdogs, but I think we could have a shot,” said Isner, the second-highest American in the rankings at No. 28, after advancing to the second round of the Australian Open.

The United States will play Serbia on March 5-7 on indoor clay in Belgrade. Third-ranked Novak Djokovic is expected to lead a strong Serbian lineup.

“That’ll be a tough task, that’s for sure,” Isner said. “I don’t think anybody would be favored against Djokovic on clay, but you never know. That’s why we go out and play the game.”

Roddick and Blake were part of the U.S. team that won the 2007 Davis Cup team. Roddick announced this month he’ll skip the 2010 Davis Cup to avoid strain on his knee.

Blake also decided not to play Davis Cup, saying Tuesday that it was too disruptive to his schedule as he tries to improve his ranking ahead of the French Open. He finished out of the top 25 last year, the first time in five years.

“I love everything about the sport except the travel,” the 30-year-old Blake said. “It seems like four weeks shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it really takes eight weeks off your schedule. You’re mentally drained, you’re physically drained from a ton of drama, a ton of enthusiasm and just the stress involved. It’s just too much for me to be able to do.”

The U.S. team still has the top-ranked doubles pair of Bob and Mike Bryan. Sam Querrey is the next highest-ranked American at No. 29.

NO AUTOGRAPHS, PLEASE: Nikolay Davydenko says he’s not a celebrity in Russia, despite upsetting Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal en route to two titles in the last two months.

And he prefers it that way.

“I am not Paris Hilton,” he said after his first-round win at the Australian Open on Tuesday. “I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to be like Nadal, Federer. These guys I never see at breakfast. They stay in the room and take room service. For me it’s better go downstairs, take breakfast or dinner somewhere, not to be so famous.”

Davydenko, who moved up to No. 6 in the rankings, doesn’t mind earning the respect and attention of his competitors.

“Before, nobody was scared (of me). Now everyone is scared,” he said. “It’s an interesting feeling. Now I feel like I can beat everyone.”

Davydenko won the Qatar Open this month and the ATP season-ending championships in November. He picked up five titles in 2009 and has been a regular in the top 10 since 2005.

He’s never reached the final of a Grand Slam.

ZAGAT GUIDE: When it comes to dining, many of the top women tennis players suggest trying Nobu restaurants and the delectable black cod with miso.

Life as a tennis player involves considerable travel — and eating and shopping — around the world. So Zagat, the global dining guide, teamed up with the organizers of the WTA to feature a book that taps into the players’ preferences.

The guide has sections on the 24 cities where tournaments are played. The 2010 guide is the third annual edition and includes three new cities: Montreal, San Diego and Warsaw, Poland.

Venus Williams recommends the curries at upscale Thai restaurant Blue Elephant in Paris. In New York, she goes for brunch at Soho hotspot Mercer Kitchen.

“Nobu. What else needs to be said?” Williams notes about the London category.

GRADING GREATNESS: Fabrice Santoro played against Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Boris Becker in his 20-year career.

So where does he rank them?

“It’s always really difficult to compare generations,” Santoro said. “But when you look at McEnroe, he was a genius on the court. What he was doing on the court was amazing.”

Santoro kept listing names, proving how hard it was to choose among the best — Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal.

“It’s very tough to make a ranking. But I will say that the best opponent I ever had is Federer,” Santoro said.

He said the game and the players have changed in the last 20 years.

“The fitness of the players has changed a lot. They are more and more professional. Everybody works so hard,” he said. “That’s why it was very tough to stay in the same event.”

Santoro, who played his first major in 1989, reached a record 70th Grand Slam tournament when he stepped out for his first-round match against Marin Cilic at Melbourne Park on Monday. He lost 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.

Santoro announced his retirement last year and enjoyed a number of farewell celebrations in his honor. But he decided in early January to compete in the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old Frenchman wants to work with French media and play in exhibitions. At this stage, he’s not interesting in coaching.

“I like the game,” he said. “I will probably play tennis and hit some balls until the end of my life.”