ESPN.com - TENNIS - Swiss win doubles to take 2-1 lead over U.S.

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Saturday, February 10
Swiss win doubles to take 2-1 lead over U.S.



BASEL, Switzerland -- The United States team and new captain Patrick McEnroe could make a historic exit -- or comeback -- in the Davis Cup.

Jan-Michael Gambill
Jan-Michael Gambill, left, and Justin Gimelstob talk strategy during their Davis Cup doubles match Saturday.
The Americans trail Switzerland 2-1 and face first-round elimination for the first time since 1993 in the best-of-five series after the Swiss pair of Roger Federer and Lorenzo Manta defeated Jan-Michael Gambill and Justin Gimelstob 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 Saturday.

American Davis Cup teams have rallied five times after trailing 2-1 going into Sunday's two singles. The first American captain to bring his team back was Richard Norris Williams in 1934.

Last year, the U.S. team captained by McEnroe's fiery older brother, John, rallied twice in beating Zimbabwe and the Czech Republic. But the elder McEnroe had Andre Agassi for both matches and Pete Sampras for one.

This time, the younger McEnroe has neither. In addition, veteran Todd Martin is injured and doubtful for Sunday after hurting his back in a Friday singles loss to Federer.

It might all be academic as the U.S. seeks a record 32nd Davis Cup title.

The 19-year-old Federer, one of the top young talents in the game, could oust the U.S. in Sunday's first singles against Gambill. He's 2-0 against Gambill and is fresh from winning his first ATP tour event last week.

"The confidence is there," Federer said after keying the Swiss win Saturday. "You can take more risks when you're confident. We were playing well. I took some chances and every time it paid off."

Swiss captain Jakob Hlasek -- a former doubles partner of John McEnroe -- tried not to sound overconfident. The Swiss have never won the Davis Cup and reached the final only once.

"It's a very good position to be in, but we expected from the start that it might go to the last match," Hlasek said.

The '93 American team had similar problems to this year's team. After winning the Davis Cup in 1992, Jim Courier, Sampras, Agassi and John McEnroe refused to play, and the U.S. lost to Australia with a team led by Brad Gilbert and David Wheaton.

Also without his stars this time, Patrick McEnroe defended his losing doubles team, which was playing together for the first time since August 1989, when they won the USTA under-12 championship.

"A lot of times in doubles it takes one game to turn it around," he said. "I felt we were close to that happening, but it didn't happen. We didn't come up with it today, but we've got a couple more matches to go."

Gimelstob and Gambill both blamed their returns. "We didn't return very well, especially me," Gambill said.

Gimelstob said, "We didn't make them play enough balls on return."

If Sunday's second singles still matters and Martin can't play against Michel Kratochvil, McEnroe will use 18-year-old Andy Roddick. Roddick, the world's top junior last year, has never played a Davis Cup match.

"If he (Martin) is not ready to go, we'll put Andy in there and he'll be ready," McEnroe said. "He's been preparing for this possibility and hopefully we'll get to that."

"It's a game-time decision if he plays," U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Randy Walker said of Martin. Martin had an MRI Saturday that showed no structural damage to the lower back or spine.

The Swiss, playing well as a team with the Americans unable to return serve consistently and volleying erratically, broke in the third game of the first set when Gambill hit a volley long.

The Americans, who never managed to break the Swiss during the three sets, had only one breakpoint -- in the second set -- and failed to capitalize.

The Swiss broke in the fifth game of the second set after Gambill hit a volley wide. They broke again in the seventh, when Gimelstob hit a volley long.

In the final set, the Swiss broke in the 11th game, converting on their third breakpoint of the game when Gambill netted a forehand volley. Then, Federer served out the match.

 




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