Bryans Keep Americans Alive; Argentina Sweeps Kazakhstan

© Getty ImagesThe Bryans improved to a 19-2 Davis Cup record with Saturday's win.

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World No. 1 doubles team Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan kept the United States’ hopes alive against Spain, defeating Marcel Granollers and Fernando Verdasco 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Saturday to cut Spain's advantage to 2-1. "I thought we did a good job," assessed Bob Bryan. "The crowd carried us through, and we got the important points when we needed to."

After dropping the first set tie-break, the Bryans took command of the match, breaking the Spaniards once in each set to claim the doubles rubber in two hours and 41 minutes. With the victory, the American twins improve to 19-2 in Davis Cup play. "They came out pretty fired up," said Mike Bryan. "But we were stingy on our serves... that made the difference as it kind of wore on them, and we got three breaks."

Watch Interviews: Bryans | Courier | Granollers/Verdasco | Costa

In nine previous meetings between the two teams, the away team has won just once, when the United States topped the Spaniards 3-2 in Barcelona in 1972. David Ferrer can give Spain its first win on American soil with a victory over Mardy Fish in Sunday’s first singles rubber.

Argentina completed a 5-0 whitewash over Kazakhstan on Saturday in Buenos Aires, with victories in both reverse singles rubbers.

With Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank having clinched the tie for the host nation with victory in Friday’s doubles rubber, the 31-year-old Chela followed up by coming from a set down to defeat Evgeny Korolev 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Juan Monaco then completed the rout over first-time quarter-finalist Kazakhstan with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mikhail Kukushkin.

Argentina is a three-time runner-up in the Davis Cup and is through to the semi-finals for the second year in a row, where it will face either Sweden at home or Serbia away