The United States has a 2-1 lead over France in its Davis Cup quarterfinal, thanks to a doubles victory by the Bryan brothers on Day 2, but is a slight underdog in both singles matches on Day 3. The USA will progress to the semifinals of the 2012 Davis Cup if it can win one of the two remaining matches, but the higher ranked Frenchmen are favorites, at home and on clay.
Davis Cup 2012 Quarterfinals, France Vs. USA: Americans Carry Lead Into Day 3 Finale
John Isner takes the court first for the Americans and can close out the tie with a victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Isner was fantastic in his straight sets win over Gilles Simon in his opening match, but Tsonga should provide a tougher test. Tsonga and Isner have met just twice in their careers, and never on clay. Isner defeated Tsonga on a hard court in Washington in 2009, and Tsonga won their other match in 2011, at the Paris Masters on a carpet.
If Tsonga wins the first match to tie up the series at 2-2, the Americans’ fate will be in the hands of 19-year-old Ryan Harrison. The two have only played once — at Indian Wells less than a month ago. Harrison lost the first set in a tiebreak, won the second set 7-5, then collapsed in the third set, which Simon won 6-1 to win the match. Unlike Indian Wells, Davis Cup matches are best of five sets, not best of three.
Day 3 of the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the USA and France starts at 5:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, and the matches can be seen on the Tennis Channel in the United States.
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