United States tops Czechs to reach quarterfinals

~ Roddick won the clinching match for the Americans, who will host Spain next.

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- Andy Roddick beat Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) Sunday to give the United States a victory over the Czech Republic and a place in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

The United States won the series 4-1 and will next play Spain on hard courts in Winston-Salem, N.C.

It will be a rematch of the 2004 final in Seville, when the Spanish hosts beat the Americans on clay.

Roddick is 8-0 in Davis Cup matches with victory on the line. With an overpowering serve and solid baseline game on the slow clay court, the fourth-ranked American overcame a partisan crowd and one of the game's rising stars.

The Americans had not won a Davis Cup World Group series on clay in a decade, but Roddick broke the streak when Berdych netted a return of serve in the fourth-set tiebreaker.

"We saw today why Andy Roddick is the fourth-best player in the world," Czech coach Jaroslav Navratil said.

In the concluding match, which had no bearing on the outcome, Bob Bryan defeated Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (5), 6-4.

The United States leads all nations with 31 Davis Cup titles. But the Americans are looking to end their longest Davis Cup drought, which dates to 1995.

"It is a statistic I don't like," the 24-year-old Roddick said. "Especially considering I have been on the team for my seventh year now."

In Friday's opening singles Berdych beat James Blake in four sets after Roddick downed Ivo Minar in four sets. The U.S. went up 2-1 Saturday on a doubles victory by twins Bob and Mike Bryan.

Other World Group winners in the first round were: Sweden (at Belarus), Germany (home against Croatia), Spain (at Switzerland), France (home against Romania), Argentina (at Austria), Belgium (home against Australia) and defending champion Russia (at Chile).