U.S. wins doubles to take 2-1 lead over Columbia

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)?Mardy Fish and John Isner defeated Colombia?s Robert Farah and Carlos Salamanca 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to give the United States a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup World Group playoff on Saturday.
In Sunday?s reverse singles on the outdoor red clay court at the Santamaria bull ring in Bogota, Fish is slated to play Santiago Giraldo and Sam Querrey faces Alejandro Falla.
The winner of the tie will remain in the Davis Cup World Cup. The United States has dropped out only once since the World Group began in 1981. The Americans have won the Davis Cup a record 32 times.
Colombia is trying to reach the World Group for the first time and hoping to take advantage of the thin air at 2,650 meters (8,700 feet).
Colombia kept itself in the match by winning the third set. The South Americans initially led 3-0 in the set but then failed to convert two set points at 6-5. They raced to a 6-2 lead in the tiebreaker and held on to win 7-5.
Fish and Isner stepped up in the fourth set, surged to a 4-1 lead and relied on Fish to serve out to win 6-3 in a match which took just less than 3 hours.
Patrick McEnroe, retiring as U.S. captain after the tie, initially planned to play Ryan Harrison with Isner, but shifted to the more experienced Fish?a move that paid dividends.
Fish, who has worked on better fitness this season, played a four-hour singles on Friday in beating Falla.
McEnroe is playing this tie without top Americans including Andy Roddick, James Blake and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan.

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