Davis Cup--final day

In today's feature Davis Cup match in Birmingham, Andy Roddick was so on fire, Stan Wawrinka just didn't have much of a chance. Wawrinka was unable to break Roddick's serve even once, and Roddick pulled himself out of the few 0-30 holes he found himself in. Following the match--which made the U.S. the official tie winner, with a 3-1 lead--a best-of-two sets match was played between James Blake and Marco Chiudnelli. Blake won that in straight sets. It should be noted, however, that Chiudnelli performed well against both Blake and Roddick, and is someone to be watched.

The attendance in Birmingham was the largest in history for a Davis Cup match held in the United States.

When the tournament was over, we stopped by the 5 Points Grill, then visited the Highland Hotel. That used to be "our" hotel in Birmingham, before it was given an art deco restoration and entered the higher level of "boutique." We were impressed with the lobby and bar, and a staff member kindly showed us a suite and a room.

Last night, we ate at the famous Superior Grill, a huge Mexican restaurant with a closed-in patio and live music, and what looked like hundreds of customers. The food was pretty good. There are so many great restaurants in Birmingham, it can be a difficult choice, but we couldn't help ourselves--we returned to Chez Lulu tonight. When you are in Chez Lulu, you have to keep reminding yourself you're not in Europe. Tonight, there was an accordion player in the house, which made the atmosphere even better.

I'm really glad I got to see this Davis Cup tie, even if Federer was not there. I don't especially get into the country vs. country spirit, but I enjoy the competition in my own way. Seeing Andy Roddick and Stan Wawrinka and the Bryan brothers was a real treat.