US send favourites Switzerland packing
The United States stunned fancied Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan prevailed over Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Teaming for only the second time, Fish and Bryan comfortably handled the 2008 Olympic doubles champions in front of an occasionally hostile Swiss crowd of 7,000.
The doubles victory gave the Americans a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five, first-round series. They advanced to the quarterfinals in April when they again will be on the road — against France or Canada.
Earlier on Friday, John Isner shocked Federer in four sets to secure a 2-0 lead for the US. Big-serving Isner beat the Swiss ace 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 to end his opponent's 15-match unbeaten run in Davis Cup singles rubbers and described it as the greatest win of his life.
Fish had earlier edged Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7.
"The mission was to go out there and not allow an artist a canvas to work with," US captain Jim Courier said of Isner's victory.
Spain too advanced in style after the defending champions built an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Kazkhstan.
After Nicolas Almagro and Juan Carlos Ferrero won in contrasting fashion on the opening day, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez drove the final nail in on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 win over Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin.
Almagro, had a fairly comfortable 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over stubborn Andrey Golubev while Ferrero returned to the Davis Cup with a thrilling 6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin in a gruelling four hour 28 minute contest.
Last year's runners-up Argentina took a 3-0 lead against Germany after David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank overcame Tommy Haas Philipp Ptezschner 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Earlier Nalbandian beat Florian Mayer 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (5) while Juan Monaco dismissed Petzschner 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Other results:
US bt Switzerland 3-0: Mike Bryan/Mardy Fish bt Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
On Friday: John Isner bt Federer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2; Fish bt Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7.
Argentina bt Germany 3-0: David Nalbandian/Eduardo Schwank bt Tommy Haas/ Philipp Petzschner 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
On Friday: Nalbandian bt Florian Mayer 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (5); Juan Monaco bt Petzschner 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Serbia lead Sweden 2-1: (Janko Tipsarevic/ Nenad Zimonjic lt to Johan Brunstrom/ Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-7 (3), 8-10).
On Friday: Viktor Troicki bt Michael Ryderstedt 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Tipsarevic bt Filip Prpic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
Austria lead Russia 2-1: Nikolay Davydenko/Mikhail Youzhny bt Oliver Marach/Alexander Peya 7-6 (1), 6-7(7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
On Friday: Alex Bogomolov Jr lt to Andreas Haider-Maurer 1-6, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 2-6; Juergen Melzer bt Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Czech Republic bt Italy 3-0: Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek bt Daniele Bracciali/ Potito Starace 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
On Friday: Berdych bt Simone Bolelli 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2; Radek Stepanek nt Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Spain bt Kazakhstan 3-0: Marcel Granollers/Marc Lopez bt Evgeny Korolev/Yuriy Schukin 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
On Friday: Nicolas Almagro bt Andrey Golubev 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; Juan Carlos Ferrero bt Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4.
