Agassi-Led U.S. to Play Russia in Davis Cup

A resurgent Andre Agassi will lead the U.S. team in a first-round, best-of-five Davis Cup match against Russia this weekend.

Agassi, who is one singles victory away from Bill Tilden’s record 16 consecutive victories by an American in the 98-year-old competition, will meet 18-year-old Russian Marat Safin in today’s second singles match.

Jim Courier will play Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the first singles match, and in Saturday’s doubles match, a recent stumbling block for the Americans, Richey Reneberg and Todd Martin will meet Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovskiy.

In Sunday’s reverse singles, Kafelnikov will take on Agassi, and Courier faces Safin. Pete Sampras chose not to play for the Americans in the early rounds.