By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock stopped Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 lifting the U.S. to a 2-1 win over host Great Britain in Davis Cup Group D play in Glasgow.
Photo credit: Getty
Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock lit up the middle put the United States over the top.
Two-time reigning US Open doubles champion Ram and former US Open doubles champion Sock won the final three games edging Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 to lift the United States to a 2-1 triumph over host Great Britain in Davis Cup Group D play in Glasgow.
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The tense two hour, 48-minute triumph capped a dramatic day of play that spanned more than nine hours with all three matches going the three-set distance.
This decisive doubles match had added intrigue as Ram and Salisbury successfully defended their US Open doubles title together in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday and found themselves on opposite sides of the net in Glasgow today.
"It's obviously disappointing. I mean, it was always going to be a really tough match because they're both top players," Murray said. "Joe knows that, playing with Rajeev. And Jack Sock, a lot of people consider him to be one of the best doubles players in the world, which I think is the case. He can do stuff with the ball that not many players can.
"Yeah, it was disappointing because we could have won that match. I know we were only a couple points away right at the end. Also in the second set, I was serving at 3-1, 30-15, I think maybe if we get through that game, maybe we go on to finish the match. But things turned around quickly."
Tommy Paul staked the U.S. to a 1-0 lead defeating Dan Evans 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Paul broke for a 5-3 lead in the final set only to see Evans deliver some stinging strikes to break back.
Undaunted, Paul vowed to "put my body on the line" in scoring his second straight break to close his first Davis Cup win.
"Obviously you want to serve out the match, especially in a situation where you're playing away. The whole crowd is going nuts for him," Paul said. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy for him to hold at 4-5 there. I was going to put my body on the line in that game.
"I couldn't be really too disappointed with myself. I had a double in that game. He played an unbelievable game. The break point that we had for him to break me was unreal.
"It makes it easier when you lose the game like that. Obviously it makes it harder, can be a little deflating. I think if you have the right mindset it can make it a little bit easier because I feel like I'm in really good shape. I was going to go back out there at 5-4 and play another point just like it. I was looking forward to it. I don't know if he was or not."
The 29th-ranked Paul avenged a three-set Toronto quarterfinal loss to Evans last month giving U.S. captain Bob Bryan, filling in for captain Mardy Fish, who contracted COVID-19, his first win.
"I think everyone on the team, like, loves Bob. He's obviously played a lot of Davis Cup," Paul said. "He played college tennis. He knows how to work in a team. His whole career he was pretty much on a team, just him and his brother. He has good energy all the time, a lot of fun. He's fun to play for."
In a battle of Indian Wells champions, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie rallied for a 2-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 win over Taylor Fritz to level the tie and set up the decisive doubles.
"It was a great match. I obviously didn't start off the best," Norrie said. "Taylor played really well. I don't think I came out too sharp. He took advantage of that. I was able to just hang tough in the second set, play a really, really good third set. I played on my terms. I felt really comfortable towards the end."
It was a homecoming celebration for Norrie's family. Cameron Norrie's father, David Norrie is a Glasgow native who grew up in the Scottish city and was on hand to see his son win today.
The left-handed Norrie used his flat backhand on the slow surface to grind through reigning Indian Wells champion Fritz.
"It's very slow," Norrie said of the hard-court surface. "I think it's a combination of the ball that they're using and the surface. I mean, I like it slow, but it's pretty dead. After a couple games, the balls get quite chewed up...
"It's interesting to watch if you're a fan. Lots of longer rallies. The match that Evo and Tommy played I thought was extremely high level from both players. Especially I think the balls are quite easy to control. It's very, very slow. It's not that bouncy."
The doubles match featured three Grand Slam doubles champion and former No. 1 and Grand Slam singles champion Murray.
The smooth-serving Ram jammed an ace down the middle, capping a love hold to level the decider a 3-all after two hours, 20 minutes.
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A Sock lob proved tricky for a back-pedaling Murray and Ram stuck a volley to put the USA at 30-all on Murray's serve in the ninth game. Ram rapped a low return to earn the Americans a break point, but Salisbury snapped a smash to save it. Murray hung tough in a tense game, holding for 5-4 when Sock sank a short forehand into net.
Two games later, the U.S. threatened Salisbury's serve. Murray plugged the middle but his volley danced along the tape before settling back on Britain's side as the Americans earned break point.
On break point, Sock made a fine return, Ram stepped in for a reflex volley and the hosts did not do enough with their reply. Sock swooped in and smacked a forehand down the middle giving the Americans the break and a 6-5 lead.
Ram slammed a smash to give Team USA double match point. Ram swatted away one final volley to close a committed comeback.
The victory puts the United States even with the Netherlands on top of Group D standings as the nations compete for a spot in the knockout-quarterfinal round in Malaga, Spain, in November. The U.S. must finish in the top two of the four-nation Group D to do that, with ties remaining against Kazakhstan on Thursday and the Netherlands on Saturday.
Twelve nations—four groups of four—are playing in the round-robin-style Group play this week. The top two nations in each group will advance to Malaga, Spain for the Davis Cup Finals.
The three other groups are playing in Valencia, Spain; Bologna, Italy; and Hamburg, Germany.
United States 2, Great Britain 1
Tommy Paul, USA d. Daniel Evans, GBR, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Cameron Norrie, GBR d. Taylor Fritz, USA, 2-6, 7-6(2), 7-5
Rajeev Ram / Jack Sock, USA d. Andy Murray / Joe Salisbury, GBR, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
Group D Schedule
Thursday, September 15; 11 a.m. Eastern time: USA v. Kazakhstan; Tennis Channel
Saturday, September 17, 9 a.m. ET USA v. Netherlands; Tennis Channel
Twelve total nations -- four groups of four -- are playing in the round-robin-style Group Stage this week, and the top two nations in each group will advance to Malaga. The three other groups are playing in Valencia, Spain; Bologna, Italy; and Hamburg, Germany.