Russia have discovered a new Davis Cup hero in Dmitry Tursunov.

Tursunov beat Andy Roddick in an epic five-set battle on Sunday to give the hosts the winning point against the United States and a place in the Davis Cup final for the first time in four years.

The California-based Russian prevailed over the US No 1 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 after an almost five-hour marathon on Moscow clay in the semi-final.

On Monday, Russian newspapers hailed the modest 23-year-old as the country's hero.

"Dmitry Tursunov wrote his name into the history books," said the headline in the respected daily Izvestia.

"Dmitry would have been given the Order of Courage for his heroics 11 years ago," said the influential Kommersant Daily, referring to the feat of Andrei Chesnokov in the 1995 Davis Cup semi-final against Germany.

Chesnokov saved nine match points against former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich at the same Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow to lead Russia into the final.

Later that year, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin, a big tennis fan, awarded Chesnokov the Order of Courage, one of the country's highest honours.

Mikhail Youzhny has been widely regarded as Russia's Davis Cup hero ever since he clinched his country's first title, winning an equally memorable five-set tussle against France's Paul-Henri Mathieu in the 2002 final in Paris.

Forgotten man

Youzhny, then 20, replaced an ageing and out-of-shape Yevgeny Kafelnikov for the fifth and deciding rubber and became the first player in the 102-year history of Davis Cup to win a match in the final after losing the first two sets.

This time it was Tursunov who stepped in for Youzhny to take on US Open finalist Roddick.

"It was only (on Sunday) morning I found out I was going to play," Tursunov, who was preferred to world number five Nikolay Davydenko, said afterwards.

"I didn't have much time to prepare, to work out a strategy. I had some ideas of how to play him...but in the fifth set I had no strategy, just tried to fight back."

After his move to the US 11 years ago, the Moscow-born Tursunov became virtually a forgotten man for Russian tennis, which boasts a string of top players, both among men and women.

When he arrived in Moscow for the US tie, Tursunov was well down the pecking order behind former world No 1 Marat Safin and US Open semi-finalists Youzhny and Davydenko.

"Davydenko was not in good physical form, so I had no choice but to take a risk with Tursunov on Sunday," Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev explained. "Besides, Dmitry wanted to play very much, he was really pumped up for it."

Tursunov handsomely repaid Tarpishchev's trust, securing Russia's first victory over their former Cold War adversaries in Davis Cup after they lost two previous ties, including the 1995 Moscow final on a similar clay surface.

Tennis tolstoy

Afterwards, Tursunov was asked if he knew he would get a chance to face the Americans.

"I don't know. We have four good players on our team, so I was just hoping for a chance to play," he said.

He was modest about his victory over Roddick.

"It wasn't his best surface but the same can be said about myself," said the Russian, who prefers hard courts and grass.

Just as he had done in the match against Roddick, Tursunov quickly grew in confidence at his post-match news conference.

Asked if he would have picked himself for the tie, Tursunov said: "I'd pick myself for all five rubbers except the doubles."

Tursunov and Youzhny lost to the world number one doubles team, American twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, on Saturday.

Tursunov, known as the Tolstoy of tennis because he regularly writes for the ATP website about his personal experiences on the tour, was asked what the win against Roddick would do for his future career.

"I don't think I can properly comprehend this victory just yet," he said, choosing his words carefully. "No doubt, this is one of my best matches, certainly the longest of my career. But I hope all my best matches are still ahead of me."

Tursunov is now expected to play a major role in the Davis Cup final with Argentina in Moscow in December when the Russians will certainly chose a fast surface against the clay-court specialists from South America.

"Argentina has a very strong, confident team," he said.

"But so is our team. Certainly, if I get a chance to play in the final, I will not be as nervous as I was now. This match against Roddick has given me a huge confidence boost, no doubt."

(China Daily September 27, 2006)