Bryan brothers keep USA alive against Spain

GIJON, Spain: Mike and Bob Bryan won yesterday’s doubles for the United States to trim Spain’s lead in their Davis Cup semifinal to 2-1.
The twins were stretched by Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory in which Granollers appeared hampered by a left calf injury picked up in the second set.
Granollers stayed in the match but Spain lost momentum and mobility as the Bryans kept alive the visitors’ chances of reaching November’s final in front of a near capacity 15,000 spectators at the purpose-built venue in the Asturian coastal city.
David Ferrer can clinch Spain’s fourth trip to the final in five years on Sunday when he faces John Isner in reverse singles, with the fifth-ranked Spaniard 15-0 on clay in the competition.
The defending champions are 37-0 after opening the semifinal with a sweep of the opening singles points.
The US has only once recovered from a 0-2 deficit — in 1934 — but its record improves when down 1-2, having done it five times with the last being in 2000.
Mike Bryan stumbled chasing down a drop shot to miss out on the first match point, but Lopez provided the US with it on the second opportunity as he double-faulted.
“It’s a shame because we felt really good today,” said Lopez before alluding to his own calf problem that forced him to retire from the US Open doubles semifinal. “It happened to me in the US one week ago, it’s tough.” The Bryans took the opening set before Spain bounced back with an early break in the second set for a lead it would not relinquish despite a marathon third game that appeared to take its toll on Granollers, who limped off to have his calf treated.
Despite captain Alex Corretja calling on him to abandon rather than risk injury, Granollers continued and eventually improved after Lopez carried the hosts through the opening sets. Lopez also sported a bandage on his own left calf.
“At times we thought he was going to quit but he kept getting the balls and hitting the serves,” Bob said after the 3-hours-38-minute match which saw the Bryans stay unbeaten against the Spanish. “That’s probably one of the longest Davis Cup matches we’ve ever played.” The Bryans broke late again in the third set for a 2-1 lead before again surrendering their serve early in the very next set to give the Spanish the advantage.
But the Americans focused their attack on Granollers, and his lack of mobility and erratic groundstrokes proved costly as he netted a forehand for Spain to be broken as the US equalized 3-3.
The Bryans saved a break point in the ninth game before their sixth and final break of serve — the fifth time they have saved the US from losing a tie.
Should Isner beat the fifth-ranked Ferrer, Sam Querrey and Nicolas Almagro are scheduled to play for the final singles point.
Almagro edged Isner in a five-set thriller on Friday to bring his and Ferrer’s record on clay in the competition to a combined 23-1.
Federer, Wawrinka beaten
In Amsterdam, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka slumped to a 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 defeat to Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer yesterday as the Netherlands stayed alive in their World Cup play-off with Switzerland.
Federer and Wawrinka, who were doubles gold medallists at the 2008 Olympic Games, had both won their singles on Friday to give the Swiss a 2-0 lead.
“We never panicked even when Switzerland won the third set. We stayed concentrated throughout the match,” said Haase.
Rojer added: “It’s fantastic. To beat Federer, even in doubles, will remain an extraordinary experience.” The tie will be decided on Sunday when world number one Federer tackles Haase, the world 41, in the opening reverse singles, before Wawrinka takes on Thiemo de Bakker.
“It won’t be an easy job but I will give it everything against Roger,” said Haase.
Australia lead Germany
In Hamburg, Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione’s doubles victory gave Australia a 2-1 lead over Germany in their World Group play-off.
Australia are bidding to return to the World Group for the first time since 2007 while Germany need to win to stay in the top tier after their opening round home defeat to Argentina in February.
After Bernard Tomic and Florian Mayer won Friday’s singles to make it 1-1 overnight, Hewitt and Guccione enjoyed a 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Benjamin Becker and Philipp Petzschner.
Having clinched the first two sets, the Australian duo allowed their German hosts to establish themselves enough to take the third convincingly at Hamburg’s clay-court Rothenbaum stadium.
A tight fourth set was only decided by a tie-breaker, but Hewitt, 31, and the 27-year-old Guccione held on to put their side ahead before Sunday’s remaining two singles matches.
In the final two rubbers, Mayer, ranked 25th in the world, plays teenager Tomic, while Hewitt will play 21-year-old Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.

On Friday, Tomic dug deep after losing the first set to seal a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) over Stebe before Mayer earned a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 win over ex-world number one Hewitt.