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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

British beat U.S. for first time since 1935

Associated Press

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Great Britain’s opening-round Davis Cup victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park in San Diego.

Murray won his 18th straight Davis Cup singles match and Great Britain beat the Americans for the first time since 1935.

Britain advanced to the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since 1986. It will face Italy.

Murray split tiebreakers with Querrey in the first two sets, breezed through the third set in 29 minutes and won the match when Querrey returned a serve long.

Murray leaned back and pumped both fists, and then swatted the ball into the stands on the opposite end of the temporary court built in left field at the home of baseball’s San Diego Padres. He joined his teammates in a celebration huddle on the red clay court.

Britain beat the United States 3-1.

• Defending champion Czech Republic reached the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup after Tomas Berdych won the first reverse singles to clinch the first-round series in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Seeking their third straight Davis Cup title, the Czechs won their 10th consecutive Davis Cup series. They will travel for the April 4-6 quarterfinal to Japan, which beat Canada 4-1.

• Gael Monfils completed France’s 5-0 rout of Australia in the first round of the Davis Cup by defeating Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (5), 6-4 in La Roche-sur-Yon, France.

France will face Germany in the quarterfinals while Australia will compete in the playoffs to stay in the World Group.

Despite the defeat, Australia still holds a 10-5 record against France in the competition.

• Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic won the reverse singles to cushion Switzerland’s triumph over Serbia to 3-2 in their Davis Cup first-round World Group tie in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Switzerland will face Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals in April, while Serbia dropped to the playoffs in September.

• Daniel Brands defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (5), 6-4 to wrap up a 4-1 win for Germany over Spain in their Davis Cup World Group first-round tie in Frankfurt, Germany.

Germany plays France in the quarterfinals in April, while five-time champion Spain faces a World Group playoff in September after its second successive first-round exit.

• Italy reached the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup when Fabio Fognini defeated Carlos Berlocq of Argentina to give Italy an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

It’s Italy’s first victory over Argentina in Davis Cup play, and the loss ended Argentina’s 12-year streak of reaching the quarterfinals.