US shock Swiss with 3-0 Davis Cup opening win

Feb 11, 2012, 16:25 GMT

Fribourg, Switzerland - The underdone and unfancied US shocked Switzerland at home on clay on Saturday, clinching the weekend Davis Cup World Group first-round tie a day early 3-0 through a doubles victory.

The pickup team of Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish upset the 2008 Beijing gold medallists Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in just over two and a quarter hours,

It was a weekend of misery for world number three Federer, the only member of the ATP elite to bother with Davis Cup duties during a busy season which also includes the London Games.

The Americans came to the Forum Fribourg without injured Andy Roddick and missing doubles king Mike Bryan whose wife just had the couple's daughter last week.

Federer went down in his Friday singles rubbers against John Isner while Fish started the weekend for the underdogs by taking out Wawrinka.

The US own the most Davis titles at 32 but have lifted only one in the past 16 years.

Switzerland lost the 1992 Davis final to the Americans but was favoured going into the tie, after choosing to play on clay. But the slight altitude of Fribourg in the western part of the country may have betrayed the hosts by playing relatively fast and helping the visitors.

The stunned Americans will now await the outcome of the tie in Vancouver, where neighbouring Canada is facing France with the contest locked at one win each.

Federer and Wawrinka out-aced the winners 10 to five but were broken four times after winning the opening set in a fast start.

Federer's loss was only his 14th in Davis Cup from 55 rubbers played.

In Hyogo, Japan, the host nation trails Croatia 1-2 after Ivan Dodig and Ivo Karlovic won the doubles rubber over Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

In Oviedo on indoors clay, holder Spain produced a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan, s the nation playing without Rafael Nadal clinched victory a Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez beat Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 for the untouchable scoreline.