Bryans win, US trims Spain's Davis Cup lead to 2-1
By PAUL LOGOTHETISBy PAUL LOGOTHETIS, AP Sports Writer?
?Mike Bryan of US, right, returns the ball beside his fellow teammate Bob Bryan, to Spain's Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, during the doubles, the third match of the rubber, at Davis Cup World Group Semi-final tennis match in Gijon, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. US Davis Cup double team won 3-6, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Mike Bryan of US, right, returns the ball beside his fellow teammate Bob Bryan, to Spain's Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, during the doubles, the third match of the rubber, at Davis Cup World Group Semi-final tennis match in Gijon, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. US Davis Cup double team won 3-6, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Mike Bryan and his brother, Bob Bryan, left, celebrates after winning against Spain's Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, during the doubles and third match at Davis Cup World Group Semi-final tennis match in Gijon, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. US Davis Cup double team won 3-6 6-3 5-7 5-7. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Mike Bryan of US, falls on the court during the doubles, the third match match of the rubber at the Davis Cup World Group Semi-final tennis match against Spain's Davis Cup, in Gijon, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. US Davis Cup double team won 3-6, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Mike Bryan of US, is helped by his fellow teammate Bob Bryan after falls on the court during the doubles, the third match of the rubber at the Davis Cup World Group Semi-final tennis match against Spain's Davis Cup, in Gijon, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. US Davis Cup double team won 3-6, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Spanish fans hold up a giant Spanish flag during the second singles Davis Cup World Group semifinal tennis match between John Isner of the US and Nicolas Almagro of Spain, in Gijon, northern Spain, Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. Almagro won the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
GIJON, Spain (AP) ? Mike and Bob Bryan won the doubles match for the United States to trim Spain's lead in the Davis Cup semifinal to 2-1 on Saturday.
The brothers were stretched by Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory in which Granollers injured his left calf during the second set. The Bryans kept the Americans in the series, winning before a near capacity crowd of 15,000, and a chance to reach the Davis Cup final in November.
John Isner will play David Ferrer in reverse singles on Sunday. Defending champion Spain is aiming for a fourth trip to the final in five years.
Should Isner beat the fifth-ranked Ferrer, Sam Querrey and Nicolas Almagro would play the deciding match.
Spain is 37-0 after opening the semifinal with a sweep of the opening singles points. The U.S. has only once recovered from a 0-2 deficit ? in 1934 ? but its record improves when down 1-2, having done it five times with the last being in 2000.
Captain Alex Corretja asked Granollers to quit rather than risk injury, but he played and improved over time. Lopez also had a bandage on his left calf.
"At times we thought he was going to quit, but he kept getting the balls and hitting the serves," Bob Bryan said after the 3-hour, 38-minute match. "That's probably one of the longest Davis Cup matches we've ever played."
Mike Bryan stumbled chasing down a drop shot to miss out on the first match point, but Lopez double-faulted on the second opportunity.
"It's a shame because we felt really good today," said Lopez before alluding to his own calf problem that forced him to retire from the U.S. Open doubles semifinal. "It happened to me in the U.S. one week ago, it's tough."
Almagro edged Isner in a five-set thriller on Friday, while Querrey lost to Ferrer in four sets. Combined, Almagro and Ferrer are 23-1 on clay in Davis Cup competition.
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Associated PressPeople, Places and Companies: Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan, Marcel Granollers, Marc Lopez, John Isner, David Ferrer, Sam Querrey, Nicolas Almagro, Spain, United States
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