In brief: Bryan brothers send U.S. into Davis semis

The United States made it to the Davis Cup semifinals, sweating out a tough victory by the top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan.

The Bryan twins beat Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C., to give the United States an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-5 event, putting the Americans a step closer to their first Davis Cup title since 1995.

“Jonas Bjorkman and Thomas Johansson beat Guillermo Canas and David Nalbandian 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3 in Goteborg, Sweden, to give Sweden a 3-0 lead over Argentina and a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals.

“Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann beat Olivier and Christophe Rochus 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 at Ostend, Belgium, to lead Germany to its first Davis Cup semifinal in 12 years.

“Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev gave Russia a 2-1 lead over France in the Davis Cup quarterfinals when they defeated Sebastien Grosjean and Michael Llodra 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in Moscow.

“France’s Tatiana Golovin beat Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the Bausch & Lomb semifinals at Amelia Island, Fla.

The eighth-seeded Golovin will face top-seeded Nadia Petrova, a 7-6 (4), 6-1 winner over Sybille Bammer.

“Greg Rusedski has retired from tennis, ending a 16-year career in which the British star reached the U.S. Open final in 1997 and was once ranked No. 4.

“Martina Hingis withdrew from the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., because of a hip injury.

Miscellany

Calzaghe retains title

Joe Calzaghe stopped Peter Manfredo in the third round at Cardiff, Wales, to retain his WBO super middleweight title and improve to 43-0.

Manfredo, runner-up in the first season of “The Contender” reality television show, fell to 26-4.

“O.J. Mayo scored a team-high 20 points to lead the U.S. junior national team to a 100-80 victory over the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Memphis, Tenn.

“Hayley Wickenheiser beat Jessie Vetter in a shootout to give Canada a 5-4 victory over the United States in the women’s world hockey championships at Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“Cambridge rallied to beat Oxford for the first time in three years in the 153rd Boat Race in London.

“Defending America’s Cup champion Alinghi won the Louis Vuitton Act season championship after winning the final fleet race of Act 13 at Valencia, Spain.

“Todd Birr of the United States lost 6-4 to Andy Kapp of Germany in the semifinals of the World Men’s Curling Championship in Edmonton, Alberta.

“Three University of Minnesota players missed the team’s spring scrimmage after being arrested in connection with a rape investigation.

“A trial date has been set in the case against Trevor Graham, the elite track coach who helped launch the government’s probe of steroids in professional sports and later became a target for allegedly lying to federal agents. Graham’s trial is to begin Sept. 24 in San Francisco federal court.