ZADAR, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- With their backs against the wall newly formed pair of Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison managed to beat Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic in the five set thriller played on Saturday to keep USA Davis Cup team alive in the semifinal tie against Croatia in Zadar.
For 40-year-old Mike Bryan it was an odd situation playing for his country without his twin brother Bob, but he found a confident partner in 26-year-old Ryan Harrison to get his 27th win in the Davis Cup. He had to fight for it longer than ever before as Dodig and Pavic came back from two sets down and forced a fifth set tie-break just to come up short after four hours and 43 minutes of a grueling battle with Americans winning it 7-5, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6.
"We feel fortunate to get out of there with a victory, 7-6 in a fifth. I've never played a match like that, as long as a match like that. It was just a dog fight. Could've gone either way," Mike Bryan said after the extraordinary match.
"These are the matches that you remember, winning for your country in an away tie. When Jim asked me to rejoin the team, I was glad I could help in any way. This is really why I came over here and got back in the Davis Cup."
US captain Jim Courier knew why he has invited Mike's twin brother Bob to lunch few months back in New York.
"Mike and Bob meant a tremendous amount to the team, their record in the Davis Cup is amazing. I asked Bob for his blessing to invite Mike back. I felt without consulting Bob it wouldn't be appropriate since they've stopped on their own. We are lucky to have them, we are lucky to have Mike back and he and Ryan combined well in a pretty tricky environment. I am super proud of those guys and thankful that they combined and gave us a win."
Playing with brother Bob, Mike Bryan lost just five Davis Cup matches. Two of those losses came against Croatian team in 2005 in Carson and two years ago in Portland. However, he is 2-0 playing against Croatians on their soil.
"It maybe a little satisfying that I lost my last match in Portland and came here to help Jim and the team," Mike Bryan said.
On the other side, Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic formed a pair that helped Croatian captain Zeljko Krajan to form his "Dream Team".
Pavic didn't play for the Croatian team since his rift with Krajan four years ago and since then became one of the best doubles players in the world. Without him, different Croatian doubles won nine matches in a row and now, with Pavic back in the team, that streak is broken.
"I had a feeling that we were a better team even in those first two sets that we lost. So, I am proud of the way that we came back and forced a decider. It was just a matter of one, two points. If we would've won those it would've been different. I am deeply sad because we lost in the fantastic atmosphere. I would like to know that winning feeling in the Davis Cup," 25-year old Pavic said in the press conference after his third defeat in as many Davis Cup rubbers he has played.
"I knew that it will be a difficult match for us because we had a great doubles team against us. We have won some tough matches in the past but this time we didn't have enough luck in the end. It is unfortunate that we ended up losing this match," said 33-year-old Ivan Dodig after he and Pavic had left their hearts out on the clay court in front of more than 7000 loud supporters.
"Croatian crowd was really energetic. When you think about an away tie you don't think about an empty stadium, you think of a stadium that is really energetic. I've never experienced something like that and Mike helped me with his experience. That was the rowdiest and most intense match. Just coming through that environment is very exciting, one of the most memorable moments for me," Ryan Harrison pointed out.
This is something that tennis players will hardly have a chance to experience in the future format of the Davis Cup that will be in place from the next year.
"These are really fun moments; it's exciting to battle a crowd like that. It's going to be different, kind of a neutral place to play. I hope we can have another experience, if we can get a couple more victories on Sunday. We going to ring out every last drop out of this format until we switch it over," Mike Bryan said wishing for a chance to play in another final.
The last one he was part of ended up in triumph for the US team. It was long 11 years ago in Portland when USA beat Russia to win the Davis Cup for the 32nd time. It will be a tough task on Sunday for the US team with number six player in the world Marin Cilic and rising star Borna Coric waiting on the other side of the net and needing only one victory to join France in the last real Davis Cup final.
