US leads Switzerland 1-0 in Davis Cup

Fribourg: The United States took a 1-0 lead against Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup on Friday when Mardy Fish beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 in a thrilling opening match.

Fish fought back after wasting a match point chance at 5-4 in the deciding set. He won six games later with a crosscourt volley at the net. The 86-minute final set was marked by wild shifts in momentum before the eighth-ranked American improved his record to 3-0 against the 28th-ranked Wawrinka. Roger Federer was next on court in the best-of-five series in the World Group. The Swiss star was facing 17th-ranked John Isner before a crowd of 7,000 at Fribourg Forum. Bureau Report