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Davis Cup – Croatia vs USA: Bryan & Harrison pull it back to 2-1 after doubles win

(Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

Croatia 2-1 USA

Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison have beaten Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavić in a five-set thriller 7-5, 7-6, 1-6, 6-7, 7-6 in Zadar on Saturday in over four hours. 

Croatia – Pavić/Dodig 5 6 6 7 6

USA – Bryan/Harrison  7 7 1 6 7

LIVE:

5th set:

TIE-BREAK – USA take the tie-break 7-5 and the match to narrow the lead to 2-1 in the semifinal

6-6 – Tie-break again as Croatia unable to break Bryan’s serve

6-5 – Dodig is strong again on serve as he gets Croatia out of 30-30 to again put the hosts one game away from the final

5-5 – Harrison once again has no trouble, serving out to love to level the set

5-4 – Pavić puts Croatia one game away from the final with a big serve Harrison cannot return

4-4 – Bryan this time has no trouble serving out the game as the Americans offer little openings for the Croatians

4-3 – Dodig again serves big to help Croatia take the game

(Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS

3-3 – Harrison found his range with his first serve as the Americans break the streak

3-2 – Powerful Dodig serves out comfortably as Croatia wins their third game in a row

2-2 BREAK Croatia break back with some wonderful play from both Pavić and Dodig at the net as Harrison makes two errors

1-2 – Croatia on the board in the fifth set as Dodig’s serves Croatia out of potential trouble at 30-30

0-2 – USA confirms the break and has the advantage in the decider

0-1 – BREAK The Americans get the early break in the 5th set when Pavić’s volley goes long

4th set:

TIE-BREAK Dodig and Pavić take the tie-break 7-5 after racing to a 5-1 lead and we are headed to a fifth set  as the match approaches four hours

6-6 – Pavić holds to love, sending the set to a tie-break

6-5 – Croatia has two break points but fails to convert either

5-5 – Dodig gets Croatia out of trouble with some big serves to level at 5 all

5-4 – The Americans go within one game of forcing the tie into a third day with a comfortable service game

4-4 – Pavić serves out a game that lasts over 5 minutes with a big serve

4-3 – Croatia put some pressure on Bryan and Harrison but the Americans hold on to win the game

3-3 – USA get to deuce, the first in the set after Pavić leaves a straight one but his two delicate shots at the net give Croatia the game

3-2 – Harrison serves to love

2-2 – Pavić holds serve easy as Croatia level

2-1 – Still on serve as USA hold

1-1 – Dodig serves strong to level as the American pair continue to make more unforced errors

1-0 – USA serve out to love to open the fourth set

President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović with Croatian Tennis Federation president Nikolina Babić and head of the US Tennis Federation Katrina Adams(Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

3rd set:

6-1 – Dodig serves out the set for Croatia as Pavić makes important winners at the net to make it 2 sets to 1.

5-1 – USA finally get on the board in the 3rd set

5-0 – Croatia one game away from the set as Dodig shows his class at the net

4-0 – BREAK Double break for Croatia as the crowd starts to life

3-0 – Croatia holds easy

2-0 – BREAK Croatia break as Dodig slams a winner down the line

1-0 – A second-serve ace by Pavić saves a break point and Croatia starts off taking the opening game

2nd set:

USA takes the tie-break 8-6 to lead 2-0

6-6 – Dodig and Pavić save a set point with some tremendous shots to send the set into a tie-break

6-5 – The set heads towards a tie-breaker as USA hold serve

5-5 – Pavić holds with a big wide swinging serve after the scores were locked at 40-40

5-4 – Harrison easily holds serve

(Photo: studiom_98.8/Instagram)

4-4 – Dodig solid on serve gives Croatia the game to love

4-3 – BREAK Croatia breaks straight back as Dodig powers down the middle on break point which USA cannot return

4-2 – BREAK USA break Pavić’s serve as the Croatians make two unforced errors

3-2 – Harrison holds to love as the set stays on serve

2-2 – Dodig holds with a good service game

1-2 – Bryan makes two foot-faults and a double-fault in an error-ridden game but Croatia fails to pounce on three break points

1-1 – Pavić holds as Dodig buries a winner at the net to level

1-0 – Harrison starts off the second set just as he did the first set by holding serve

1st set:

7-5 – BREAK Dodig is broken and USA take the first set after saving a set point earlier

6-5 – USA take the lead in the set as Bryan serves to love

5-5 – BREAK USA gets back into the set as Croatia make unforced errors

4-5 – Harrison saves a set point and holds and it will be Pavić next serving for the set

3-5 – Croatia confirms the break and it is Pavić again with the decisive winner at the net

3-4 – BREAK Fantastic play from Pavić sets up two break points before Dodig smashes home the winner and the break

3-3 – Croatia saves a break point and levels the set up as Dodig and Pavić are strong at the net

3-2 – Harrison eventually hold serves after scores were tied at 40-40

2-2 – Dodig’s first service game sees USA have 2 break points which Dodig saves with 2 aces

2-1 – Croatia has the first break point of the match but Bryan manages to hold in the end

1-1 – Pavić serves first for Croatia after the scores were tied at deuce Croatia takes the game with good play at the net from Dodig

1-0 – Harrison opens up with a hold of serve

Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavić and Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison.
(Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

0-0 – Players are warming up on court

Croatia v USA – Davis Cup semifinal (Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

Croatia is just one point away from reaching the Davis Cup final for the third time in history after Borna Ćorić and Marin Čilić enjoyed straight-set wins on the opening day of the semifinal in Zadar on Friday. 

World No. 18 Ćorić gave Croatia a 1-0 lead in the opening match with a straight-sets win over Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 before Čilić showed his class to put Croatia 2-0 up with an impressive straight-sets win 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) over 20-year-old Frances Tiafoe who was making his Davis Cup debut. 

Marin Čilić (Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

Croatia now has three match points with the first coming on Saturday when Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavić take on world No. 1 doubles player Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison. 

Borna Ćorć (Photo: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

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