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Bob and Mike Bryan swept aside Russians Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev in Saturday's doubles to earn the United States tennis team an unbeatable 3-0 lead and a record 32nd Davis Cup.
The Americans, who won the opening singles matches at Memorial Coliseum, had not claimed the team
title for 12 years, their last success also coming against Russia on the clay of Moscow in 1995.
The dominant Bryan brothers, winners of five grand slam titles together, crushed their opponents 7-6 6-4 6-2 in just under two hours to secure their 13th doubles triumph in 14 Davis Cup appearances.
"We will remember this for the rest of our lives," a beaming Mike Bryan said in a courtside television interview.
"It's difficult to explain how we feel right now. It was a dream for us to win the final match."
American No 1 Andy Roddick, who claimed the opening rubber and is unbeaten in six Davis Cup singles matches this year, told a news conference: "To be here and bring the Cup back to the States is an amazing feeling.
"But more important, just to share the journey with these guys, it's been so much fun. For us to have our moment, I feel like we really do deserve it."
US captain Patrick McEnroe was elated with his team's breakthrough victory after seven unsuccessful years in charge.
"It's been a long road," said McEnroe, who captained the team for the first time in February 2001. "I couldn't be happier for these guys because they've been through it all together. We've had a lot of ups and downs but this feels awesome."
Russian captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who guided his team to Davis Cup titles in 2002 and last year, paid tribute to the winners.
"I want to congratulate the American team on a well-earned victory," he said.
"They played very well. Basically on this surface they were stronger."
Although the Bryans squandered an early break point off Andreev's serve in the opening set, they won the tiebreak 7-4 on an Andreev double-fault after coming from 3-1 down.
In trademark style, the American twins celebrated by jumping together for their unique chest-pump.
Roared on by a near-capacity crowd of just under 13,000, the Bryans broke Davydenko in the first game of the second set and saved their only break point of the match in the sixth game before establishing a commanding two-set lead.
World number four Davydenko, a surprise omission from the opening singles matches, was again broken in the third and seventh games of the third set before right-hander Mike served out for victory.
World number six Roddick had outclassed Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 6-4 6-2 in the opening rubber of the three-day tie before Blake put the hosts 2-0 up with a gutsy 6-3 7-6 6-7 7-6 victory over Mikhail Youzhny in the second singles.
- REUTERS
