Bryan siblings beat Australian pair of Hewitt-Peers to give America vital 2-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 win
Bob Bryan (left) and Mike Bryan of the United States celebrate after their win over Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and John Peers during their Davis Cup doubles match in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday
Melbourne: The crack Bob and Mike Bryan doubles combination gave the United States an edge in their Davis Cup tie with a thrilling five-set win over the Lleyton Hewitt-inspired Australians at Kooyong on Saturday.
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Bob Bryan (left) and Mike Bryan of the United States celebrate after their win over Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and John Peers during their Davis Cup doubles match in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday. Pic: AP/PTI
Bryan brothers looked to be cruising to victory, breezing through the opening two sets before Hewitt and debutant John Peers forced a fifth set. But the American twins proved too strong in the deciding set, winning 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 to give their team a vital 2-1 lead in the best-of-five rubber tie.
The Americans can wrap up the first-round tie with just one more victory in today's reverse singles through their top-rated John Isner — who faces Australia's Bernard Tomic — or Jack Sock.
"It's going to be an exciting day for sure, Bernie played awfully well yesterday, but so did John," US captain Courier said.
"Hopefully John has been a little fresher than Bernie given he only played three sets. "But it's going to be exciting, the crowd is going to be jacked up. We're going to be ready for a fifth match obviously too, and at this stage we don't know necessarily if it's going to be Sam (Groth) or Lleyton playing in that fifth."