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US - Russia Davis Cup final in Portland September 27, 2007 18:08 IST The United States-Russia Davis Cup final will be held at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, the US Tennis Association announced on Wednesday. The November 30-December 2 competition at the Coliseum, site of the United States' semi-final wins over Australia in 1981 and 1984, marks the first Davis Cup final in the United States in 15 years. The US, led by Andy Roddick [Images], James Blake and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan, advanced to the final with a 4-1 victory over Sweden last weekend in Gothenburg. Holders Russia rallied on the final day against Germany [Images] in Moscow [Images] to win their semi-final 3-2. The US, 2-1 overall against Russia [Images] in the team competition, are seeking their first Davis Cup title since 1995 when they beat Russia in the final in Moscow. "The stage is set for a memorable event -- a classic match-up between our top American team and the defending Davis Cup champions from Russia," Arlen Kantarian, the USTA's head of professional tennis, said in a statement. "We expect a pumped up and patriotic capacity crowd in the great city of Portland -- one of the most passionate sports cities in the country." The United States last hosted the Cup final in 1992 in Ft. Worth, Texas, where Andre Agassi [Images], Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe combined to defeat Switzerland [Images]. A 10-year-old Roddick was among the spectators. "It changed my life," Roddick said of the 1992 final. "It changed the way I viewed tennis, especially the way I viewed Davis Cup. "It just blew my mind, to see the team that we had there. To be able to see that in that type of setting as a little kid, it definitely made a bit of an impression."
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