Roddick blows match point

Earlier, Andrei Pavel had rallied from two sets down to beat world number three Andy Roddick 6-7 2-6 7-6 6-2 6-4 and give Romania a shock 1-0 lead.

"I gave it all and risked it all," Pavel told reporters.

"It's a happy day for us."

Blake responded confidently, however, dominating the match against Hanescu with steely defence and his big forehand.

"We all pick each other up," Roddick said. "I've picked up James before and today he picked me up. That's' why it's called a team."

The 32-year-old Pavel saved a match point in the third set tiebreak with a brilliant top-spin lob.

"To have him hit a running lob on match point, that's a good shot," Roddick said.

"It's disappointing and something you wish you could take back and try again."

Roddick then struggled badly after losing the tiebreak 10-8. He was treated for an injury to his right wrist early in the fourth set and was physically sick on court at the next changeover.

The American, suffering with a stomach ailment, was sick again after the first game of the fifth set and frequently doubled over in pain after rallies.

DESPERATE BID

Trailing 5-1 in the fifth, Roddick made a desperate late bid to fight back, hitting aces and firing winners from all over the court to make the score 4-5.

Pavel played aggressively in the final game, however, and clinched victory on his third match point after forcing Roddick into a backhand error.

"I love to play Davis Cup," said Pavel, who has a 28-11 win-loss record in the competition. "I fight to the end.

Sometimes I like to prove to myself that I can still go the distance."

Roddick said he had never felt worse on court.

"I didn't have anything left in my body to use as fuel," he said. "I just felt dead. I had no energy after that. I puked out all my fluids and after that I was pretty dehydrated."

The American said his stomach sickness had not been caused by something he ate but he discounted nerves as an explanation.

""If it were nerves, I'd be puking a lot more in matches, like during the Wimbledon final," said Roddick, who vowed to play on Sunday. "Nerves probably don't help the situation, but if I puked every time I was nervous, then we'd have a lot of dirty courts.

The world's top-ranked doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan, are scheduled to face Hanescu and Pavel on Saturday but Romania captain Florin Segarceanu is considering replacing one of them with Horia-Vlad Tecau.

"The doubles is huge," said U.S. Captain Patrick McEnroe.

"But this is the kind of opportunity the Bryans live for. like our chances tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Chile has a comfortable lead over Slovak Republic with a 2-0 lead as Fernando Gonzalez beat Michal Mertinak 7-6 7-6 6-3, and Nicolas Massu recovered from a set down to defeat Dominik Hrbaty 6-7 6-3 6-1 7-6.