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2/10/12 6:17 PM | Ricky Dimon
The United States is on the scoreboard in Switzerland, but not before a huge struggle between Mardy Fish and Stanislas Wawrinka. Fish takes the opening Davis Cup singles rubber 9-7 in the fifth.
Mardy Fish and Stanislas Wawrinka kicked off the first-round Davis Cup tie between the United States and Switzerland in grand fashion. But while the host Swiss have nothing to show for it, the Americans have the first crucial point.
Fish outlasted Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 in four hours and 26 minutes on Friday afternoon. The 30-year-old won 13 more total points than his opponent, but he struggled to put Wawrinka away and even failed to serve out the match in a tense 10th game of the fifth set.
Despite playing in hostile territory and coming off a lackluster first month of the season, Fish got off to a strong start. He had to survive two difficult service games in the opening set, but he broke for a 3-1 lead and again at 5-2 to finish off the set in style.
Wawrinka, however, turned the tide throughout the second and third. The world No. 28 earned a decisive break at 3-3 in the second and battled through a deuce game at 5-4 to hold. One break was all Wawrinka needed in the third, and it came in the very first game. The crowd favorite had other chances to break, but instead he served it out the rest of the way and clinched the set with his fourth ace.
A dominant fourth-set performance by Fish set the stage for a dramatic fifth. The American seized a break for a 3-2 advantage and he consolidated en route to 5-4. He buckled under the pressure of serving for it but came up with clutch holds while serving to stay in the match at 5-6 and 6-7. Fish struck again in the 15th game to give himself another chance to serve for victory. This time the world No. 8 did it, but not before digging out of a 15-40 hole. Fish converted his third match point with an incredible cross-court forehand drop-volley.
"It was a great match," said Fish. "We both wanted to win really badly. There's something special about Davis Cup; you just never give up. It's a great feeling to win those matches; I lost two of those last year.... They keep putting us on clay. I wish they would put us on a fast hard court; maybe it wouldn't last so long. "
Team Switzerland now turns to Roger Federer, who will battle John Isner in an effort to deadlock the tie at 1-1.
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