Young guns guide USA in Davis Cup matches

Agencies, New York

Newly crowned US Open champion Pete Sampras and runner-up Andre Agassi have both turned down U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe's invitations to go to Paris for this weekend's Davis Cup semi- final tie with France, leaving the job to young guns Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mardy Fish.

U.S. hopes of reaching the December final will rest squarely on the shoulders of Roddick and Blake but McEnroe is not complaining.

"It is time for the younger guys to sort of take the baton and run with it," said McEnroe when he announced his team. "This is another step in that process, and a big step. We're relying on them.

"It (US Open) was a great experience for them. I think Andy has learned a lot from what happened to him in the last couple of US Opens."

Leading the Americans in Paris will be the hard-hitting Roddick, who is unbeaten in Davis Cup singles play with a record of 7-0, equaling the best start for a U.S. Davis Cup player in singles since Agassi went 7-0 in 1988 and 1989.

Hailed as the future of American men's tennis, Roddick has lived up to that billing with varying degrees of success.

The 20-year-old Roddick has three career tournament wins and reached the quarterfinals at the US Open for the last two years, becoming the youngest men's quarter-finalist since Agassi in 1988. He was mauled by Sampras in the last eight this year.

Blake, who took Lleyton Hewitt to five sets in the third round of the US Open before falling to the world number one, is also unbeaten with a Davis Cup record of 5-0 (3-0 in singles).

Meanwhile, Tim Henman needs to produce one of the best Davis Cup performances of his career if Britain are to rebuff resurgent Thailand and maintain their slot in the elite world group of 16.

Despite a shoulder injury that has nagged away at him for weeks, Henman will be expected to win both his singles on Friday and Sunday in Birmingham now that his backup, Greg Rusedski has pulled out with a heel injury.

The threat comes from Paradorn Srichaphan, one of the most improved players on the circuit this year rising to 31st in the world - over 100 places higher than Martin Lee and Arvind Parmar, the next best-ranking Britons.

Rusedski's withdrawal has made Henman's own battle for fitness more important than ever.

The British number one was named in captain Roger Taylor's squad despite a shoulder injury he sustained in the US Open and he hit a ball for the first time this month yesterday.

But the chances of Henman being able to play the full quota of two singles matches and one doubles remain slight.

Taylor has called British number 14 Miles Maclagan into the squad to join Henman, Lee and Parmar.