<p> On a day when the United States whitewashed France 3-0, world number four Murray brought Britain level with Italy by beating Potito Starace 7-5, 6-1 after French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had beaten Laura Robson 7-5, 6-3. <br /><br />However, the Britons were edged out 6-7, 7-6, 10-2 (match tiebreak) in the deciding mixed doubles. Britain now face an uphill struggle if they are to match their run to the final of 12 months ago. <br /><br />Murray found it hard going in the hot and humid conditions inside the Burswood Dome but after a slow start, he overpowered Starace, breaking once to win the first set and then cruising through the second. <br /><br />The 16-year-old Robson had been struggling with a cold in the build-up to the match but was impressive against Schiavone, ranked 210 places above her at seven. When Robson broke to lead 5-3 a shock seemed possible but Schiavone won seven straight games to take control and held off a spirited Robson fightback to clinch victory. <br /><br />Murray and Robson looked on course for victory in the mixed doubles when they broke to lead 4-3 in the second set but as Murray tired, the Italians hit back to level the match and then take the deciding match tiebreak 10-2. Former junior world number one Kristina Mladenovic took the first set against Bethanie Mattek-Sands but that was as good it got for France .<br /><br />Mattek-Sands won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to give the US a 1-0 lead and John Isner made sure there would be no repeat of his epic Wimbledon encounter with Nicolas Mahut as he beat the Frenchman 6-3, 7-6. <br /><br />It was the first meeting between the two since their 11 hours, five-minute first-round encounter at at the All England Club last June when Isner edged it 70-68 in the final set. <br />This time, the match was over in just 90 minutes, much to the relief of Isner, who later joined Mattek-Sands to win the mixed doubles 2-6, 6-3, 10-8. <br /><br />Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova had to withdraw with a right knee injury. She will be replaced by world number 140 Sesil Karatantcheva.</p>
<p> On a day when the United States whitewashed France 3-0, world number four Murray brought Britain level with Italy by beating Potito Starace 7-5, 6-1 after French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had beaten Laura Robson 7-5, 6-3. <br /><br />However, the Britons were edged out 6-7, 7-6, 10-2 (match tiebreak) in the deciding mixed doubles. Britain now face an uphill struggle if they are to match their run to the final of 12 months ago. <br /><br />Murray found it hard going in the hot and humid conditions inside the Burswood Dome but after a slow start, he overpowered Starace, breaking once to win the first set and then cruising through the second. <br /><br />The 16-year-old Robson had been struggling with a cold in the build-up to the match but was impressive against Schiavone, ranked 210 places above her at seven. When Robson broke to lead 5-3 a shock seemed possible but Schiavone won seven straight games to take control and held off a spirited Robson fightback to clinch victory. <br /><br />Murray and Robson looked on course for victory in the mixed doubles when they broke to lead 4-3 in the second set but as Murray tired, the Italians hit back to level the match and then take the deciding match tiebreak 10-2. Former junior world number one Kristina Mladenovic took the first set against Bethanie Mattek-Sands but that was as good it got for France .<br /><br />Mattek-Sands won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to give the US a 1-0 lead and John Isner made sure there would be no repeat of his epic Wimbledon encounter with Nicolas Mahut as he beat the Frenchman 6-3, 7-6. <br /><br />It was the first meeting between the two since their 11 hours, five-minute first-round encounter at at the All England Club last June when Isner edged it 70-68 in the final set. <br />This time, the match was over in just 90 minutes, much to the relief of Isner, who later joined Mattek-Sands to win the mixed doubles 2-6, 6-3, 10-8. <br /><br />Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova had to withdraw with a right knee injury. She will be replaced by world number 140 Sesil Karatantcheva.</p>