Despite what turned out to be an easy victory over Romania this weekend, one cannot like the chances of the United States Davis Cup team this year – unless Andy Roddick pulls himself together.

The befuddled American sealed yesterday’s victory with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Razvan Sabau, who filled in for the injured Victor Hanescu. The outcome was never in question as Roddick, showing few effects from the illness that crippled him on Friday, needed to do little other than keep the ball in play against the erratic Sabau.

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan won by default in doubles on Saturday, and James Blake won both his contests to make the final score 4-1 for the Americans. Next up is Chile in April, and the Americans will once again play host, perhaps on grass. A win would put them in the semifinals against either France at home or Russia on the road.

On paper, the Americans are among the two or three best teams in the world this year, if not the very best. Unfortunately, their most important member, Roddick, continues to look a lot better on paper than he does on the court. Roddick exhaled and slowly raised his arms after the final point against Sabau, clearly relieved that his collapse in the first match of the weekend – a 6-7(2), 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of 32-year-old Andrei Pavel – will amount to nothing more than a keepsake for Pavel rather than a historic upset for the United States. Even so, Roddick’s shaky play this weekend does not suggest he is on the verge of repairing many of the flaws in his game or regaining the confidence that has dissipated since his victory at the 2003 U.S. Open.

Following his fourth-round loss at the Australian Open last month, Roddick parted ways with coach Dean Goldfine after little more than a year. That Roddick decided it was time for a change is not terribly disturbing; it’s not as if he was improving rapidly. What is troubling, however, is that the 23-year-old has now dismissed three coaches in three years, including his first and longtime coach, Tarik Benhabiles, and Brad Gilbert, former coach of Andre Agassi. Worse still, he has hired his older brother, John Roddick, as his guide for the immediate future.

The elder Roddick, it should be pointed out, is no novice. He was an All-American at the University of Georgia, where he later coached, and now runs a tennis academy in San Antonio. Put aside the fact that he has never coached a top professional. Even if he had, Andy’s decision to hire him would seem a perplexing one. Roddick candidly admits his lack of confidence of late, but this decision shows he lacks patience, too. For those who have been calling for Roddick to overhaul aspects of his game – Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe and his brother John, to name two – this is hardly a promising turn of events.

The odd thing about Roddick these days is that he understands what he must do to improve his results against top players and in major tournaments. At the Australian Open, he talked about a productive off-season with Goldfine; he said he wanted to play more aggressively, especially on service returns. tennis – he won 73% of points on his serve in 2005 and 93% of his games, both best on the tour – and it seems obvious and sensible for him to take more risks when the ball is not in his hands.

Sounds simple, but Roddick refuses to follow his own advice. It would be one thing if he were trying to play aggressively and not executing; at that point, success might just be a matter of weeks or months. But most times, Roddick does not even try to change.

John McEnroe said as much during the waning moments of yesterday’s match, with Roddick leading 5-1 in the third set. Sabau was finished, yet there was Roddick, standing feet behind the baseline on first serves and oftentimes moving further back on second serves. Putting the ball in play more than sufficed against Sabau, but with such a cushion, Roddick should have tried for something more, if only to build confidence for the future. McEnroe, announcing from the booth of the Outdoor Life Network, was miffed.

Roddick also seems slow to adjust his tactics during matches. On Friday, he should have hit more second serves to Pavel’s weaker forehand. In the first two sets, he won 50% of points on his second serve, about 6% lower than his 2005 average. In the third set he won five of 19 points on his second serve, or 26%. He won seven of 23 (30%) in sets four and five. Yes, Roddick was hurting from the fourth set on. A few times he vomited in a trash bin as coach McEnroe consoled him. Both men might have been spared this calamity had Roddick played a little smarter in the third set.

Will Roddick continue to mystify? He surely realizes that these next two years may be the most important of his career. If he is going to win another Grand Slam title or two, he needs to change, and soon (at Wimbledon last July, there were signs that he would, but nothing since). Maybe his brother can motivate him to take the risks he needs to take. Maybe he will move in yet another direction before the season ends. Maybe a loss during the first week of Wimbledon would at last drive the point home.

Whatever it takes, we can only hope Roddick stumbles upon it soon and then forges ahead, even if he suffers a few bad losses before becoming comfortable with his adjustments. Right now, Roddick seems ready to panic, which would only make matters worse. Patience, the trait he seems most lacking these days, is what he needs above all else.