Byran brothers keep U.S. Davis Cup hopes alive

Switzerland’s Roger Federer, left, and Stanislas Wawrinka were stunned by the Netherlands. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

PARIS - The United States stayed alive in its Davis Cup semifinal against champions Spain on Saturday, while four-time runner-up Argentina lost its doubles match as well as Juan Martin del Potro against the Czech Republic.

Bob and Mike Bryan beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 on the clay of Gijon as the U.S. cut its deficit to 2-1 against Spain.

The Olympic and U.S. Open champions secured the crucial point, which will mean a tie, or elimination round, will be decided on Sunday (Central European Time) with a place in November’s final at stake. Saturday’s win took the Bryans’ Davis Cup record to 20-2. “They’re pretty good in the clutch and they get us to Sunday. We’ve got a chance,” said U.S. captain Jim Courier.

Five-time champions Spain are defending a run of 23 consecutive home victories in the tournament, a streak stretching back to 1999.

They had edged closer to a sixth final in 10 years on Friday when world No. 5 David Ferrer beat Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 before Nicolas Almagro beat John Isner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Argentina’s hopes of making the final suffered a double blow when they slipped 2-1 down to the Czechs and the lost del Potro to injury.

Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek eased past Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 at a shell-shocked Parque Roca to take their Davis Cup record to 11-1.

In the playoffs, where victory assures a place in the World Group for 2013, the Netherlands stayed in contention against Switzerland in Amsterdam when Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer stunned Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.

Federer and Wawrinka, who were doubles gold medalists at the 2008 Olympic Games, had both won their singles on Friday to give the Swiss a 2-0 lead.

AFP