Story highlights
Bob and Mike Bryan record straight sets victory on Saturday to give U.S. a 2-1 lead heading into Sunday's singles
Austria keep tie with Spain alive after doubles victory on Saturday
Czech Republic take 2-1 lead against Serbia thanks to doubles win by Stepanek and Berdych
Serena Williams to face Lucie Safarova in WTA event in Charleston
The United States edged ahead in the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal against France in Roquebrune on Saturday after an impressive display in the doubles by Bob and Mike Bryan.
The brothers dispatched their opponents Michael Llodra and Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to hand the U.S. a 2-1 lead heading into Sunday’s deciding singles matches.
“We came in today and played a really solid match, especially on our serve,” Mike Bryan said, DavisCup.com reported.
“Not being down a break point on serve especially against a great team on dirt is a great stat with us. It wasn’t flashy, we just played our workmanlike doubles today,” he added.
John Isner can seal America’s place in the semi-finals if he beats the French No.1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first singles rubber.
If Tsonga prevails the tie will hinge on the final match which sees Ryan Harrison play Gilles Simon.
Austria kept their tie against Spain alive with a four-set doubles victory in Castellon on Saturday.
After losing the opening set, Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya produced a fine comeback to overcome Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6.
The Austrians now need Jurgen Melzer to defeat David Ferrer in the open singles rubber on Sunday if they are to keep their semifinal ambitions alive.
Over in Prague, the Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead against Serbia after winning the doubles in straight sets.
Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-4 6-2 7-6 (7-4) in a match which lasted two hours and 23 minutes on the clay at the O2 Arena.
The winners will face either Argentina or Croatia in September’s semi-finals.
David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank earned Argentina a 2-1 lead on Saturday after an epic doubles victory in Buenos Aires.
The Argentine pair triumphed 3-6 7-6 6-3 6-7 8-6 against Marin Cilic and Ivo Karlovic in a match lasting one minute shy of five hours.
Juan Martin del Potro can wrap up the tie if he beats Cilic in the first singles rubber on Sunday.
Meanwhile at the WTA event in Charleston, South Carolina, Serena Williams crushed Samantha Stosur 6-1 6-1 to reach the Sunday’s final.
Williams needed just 59 minutes to see off the Australian who beat her in the final of the U.S. Open last September.
Her opponent will be Lucie Safarova after the Czech whitewashed Slovenia’s Polona Hercog 6-0 6-0.
