The USTA next week soon will announce its decision for the location of the high-profile first round Davis Cup showdown with Roger Federer and Switzerland in the first weekend of March.  Contenders are reported to be San Antonio, Birmingham, Ala., and Greenville, S.C.  Here is why I think it should be in Texas:

1 – A Thank You to Andy Roddick for his Davis Cup committment.  Roddick lives an hour up the road in Austin, and his brother, Lawrence, is leading the effort to bring the matches to the Alamodome in San Antonio.  Roddick has been as loyal a player as America has had since John McEnroe, and has compiled a 29-11 record for the U.S.  Not choosing his home state would be a snub to the best American of the last five years. At 26, he is gearing up in hopes for a big year after an injury marred a great start last year.

2 – The Alamodome.  It is a big-time venue, can seat as many as 35,000, and hosted the NCAA Final Four last year, as premier a sporting event as this country has.  Davis Cup needs to be up on such a level.

3 – Proximity.  San Antonio is within driving distance of two major markets with lots of tennis fans — Houston and Dallas, not to mention Austin.  It’s centrally located and an easy flight from the East and West coast.

4 – Mexican food.  Switzerland is certainly a sophisticated place, but they don’t have enchiladas.  European travelers would get a kick out of the city’s cuisine, not to mention people like me traveling from Philadelphia.

5 – No Comparison:  I like both cites, but Birmingham and Greeville, S.C., are second-tier cities at best, not much more to offer than Winston-Salem did last year.  The recent news of Birmingham’s corrupt mayor is enough to stay away from there.  I do wonder why tennis-crazy Atlanta with its selection of big arenas, self-aggrandizing boosterism and Olympic history never tries to host Davis Cup matches.

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