DAVIS CUP SEMIFINALS

Mike Bryan-Fish Keep U.S. Hopes Alive

The first-time pairing of Americans Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish kept the defending Davis Cup champions alive as they defeated Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours and 16 minutes Saturday.
Spain could clinch the tie Sunday and reach its first Davis Cup final since winning four years ago when top-ranked Rafael Nadal takes on Andy Roddick in the reverse singles. Nadal has won nine straight Davis Cup singles matches since losing his opener in 2004. David Ferrer is scheduled to play Davis Cup rookie Sam Querrey in the fifth rubber.
Fish, who was substituting for the injured Bob Bryan (shoulder), made his first appearance in a Davis Cup doubles match in five years. He is now 2-1 in doubles. Mike Bryan improved his career mark to 15-2 in Cup play, including 7-0 on clay.
Lopez and Verdasco, who came into the semifinals with a 3-2 lifetime record together in Davis Cup competition, had won the previous two Cup matches this season.
After dropping the opening set, Bryan and Fish won the next two sets and appeared in control with Bryan serving at 4-3 in the fourth set. But he lost serve and Fish was broken at 4-5 as the Spaniards evened the match. The decisive break in the fifth set came in the fifth game as Verdasco was broken.
Bryan and Fish converted four of 11 break points while saving 10 of 13 on their serve. The Americans won 84% of first serve points compared to the Spaniards' 70%.The U.S. has rallied once in 32 attempts when trailing 0-2 -- 74 years ago against Great Britain. The last time the U.S. reached back-to-back finals was in 1991-92.