By ,
Published May 02, 2016
Glasgow, Scotland (SportsNetwork.com) - Bob and Mike Bryan blew a two-set lead Saturday, but still managed to keep the United States alive in its Davis Cup first-round tie against Great Britain.
The decorated twins watched a two-set lead disappear against a British tandem of Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot, but still came away with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 triumph in a match that took 3 hours and 39 minutes.
It's still a daunting task for the Americans, who have come back from an 0-2 deficit just once in their entire storied Davis Cup history.
Andy Murray will have the first chance to win it for Britain on Sunday against John Isner. The native of Scotland, playing in front of his home fans, needed four sets on Friday to beat Donald Young to give the Brits their first point of the weekend.
Isner went nearly five hours on Friday against James Ward before finally falling, 15-13, in the final set to put the Americans into their 0-2 hole.
Should Isner prevail against the two-time Grand Slam champ on Sunday, the decisive rubber would feature Ward against Young.
The Bryan brothers appeared to have Saturday's match well in control after cruising through the first two sets in a mere 58 minutes, but the Brits stormed back. A break of serve in the fourth game of the third pushed the match further and the Brits saved a trio of break points in the fourth set before sending it to a tiebreak.
After saving a match point down 8-7 in the tiebreak, the Brits won three straight points to force a decisive fifth set. There were no breaks in the fifth until Jamie Murray was broken in the 15th game. Mike Bryan then held to finally win it for the 16-time Grand Slam champions.
Great Britain is trying to eliminate the U.S. for a second straight year in the first round, having claimed a 3-1 win last year in San Diego.
The U.S. leads this all-time series, 11-8. The Americans own a record 32 Davis Cup titles, while Britain boasts nine, with its last coming in 1936. The Americans last hoisted the chalice in 2007.
Sunday's winner will meet France in July's quarterfinals. The French clinched their tie on Saturday with a doubles victory for an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Germany.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bryans-keep-u-s-alive-in-davis-cup-with-britain