MELBOURNE, Australia — Grass court or hard court, it didn't seem to matter to Bob and Mike Bryan on Saturday when the brothers, after a mid-match lapse, gave the United States a 2-1 lead over Australia in their World Group Davis Cup first-round tie.
The Bryans beat Australia team captain Lleyton Hewitt — who came out of a short-lived retirement to replace Sam Groth —, and John Peers 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in doubles to put the Americans in front ahead of Sunday's reverse singles. Hewitt had replaced an ill Nick Kyrgios in the Australian squad but didn't play in either of the opening singles.