Bryan brothers beat Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in Davis Cup doubles
Saturday 7 March 2015 17:53, UK
Bob and Mike Bryan kept the United States' Davis Cup hopes alive after an epic five-set victory over Great Britain's Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in their first-round World Group tie in Glasgow on Saturday.
The 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-7 (10-8) 9-7 victory by the Californian brothers reduced the Americans' deficit to 2-1, and took the clash to a third and final day.
The Bryans, who have won 16 grand slam titles and Olympic gold together, were the clear favourites against a pair that had not been matched up since a junior tournament in 2003.
And despite a scare, the most successful doubles partnership in the Open era kept intact their proud record of having never lost after being two sets up.
Murray's serve was broken four times before the Scot rose to the occasion to spark home hopes of a comeback to match James Ward's epic triumph over John Isner, which put the hosts 2-0 up on Friday.
The momentum changed when Murray smashed a volley to break Mike Bryan's serve in a third set which the Britons took emphatically.
Murray's positive serving forced a fourth set tiebreak and Inglot produced three powerful volleys at the net to turn a 5-3 deficit into an set point.
That went begging and the home pair soon faced match point but Inglot's powerful return proved too good for Bob Bryan and Murray secured two points in a row to force a decider.
The fifth set was evenly poised and Murray saved a break point at 7-7 with an ace, but the Bryans forced another one and this time the Scot volleyed into the net before the visitors finished the job.
Leon Smith's side still remain favourites to advance, with world No 5 Andy Murray expected to beat John Isner in the first of Sunday's reverse singles.
British No 2 James Ward then plays Donald Young in the final rubber on Sunday.
The winner of the tie will take on France on home soil in July after Les Bleus qualified for the quarter-finals by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead over Germany in Frankfurt.
After Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils beat Jan-Lennard Struff and Philipp Kohlschreiber respectively on Friday, the doubles pairing of Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut made it 3-0 with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory over Benjamin Becker and Andre Begemann.
