VOA常速英语2007年-US Hosts Russia in Davis Cup Tennis Final
时间：2019-01-03 作者：英语课 分类：VOA常速英语2007年（十一月）
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 Fort 1 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 avenge 2 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.
"Definitely 3, 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 decisive 4 reverse-singles match.
Tursunov will be back on a Russian squad 5 led by fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko. Rounding out Russia's announced roster 6 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 noted 7. "You know, we have had a little bit of a drought 8 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.
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。