Murray beats Querrey; Brits top US in Davis Cup

SAN DIEGO: Less than five months after having back surgery, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray propelled Britain into the next round of the Davis Cup and earned some time off.

Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britain´s opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park.
Murray won his 18th straight Davis Cup singles match and Britain beat the Americans for the first time since 1935.

Britain advanced to the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since 1986. It will face Italy, which defeated Argentina. The United States is relegated to the World Group playoff in September and will need to win to stay in the World Group.

The last time Great Britain won in the United States was in 1903 in the World Group Challenge Final at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston.American captain Jim Courier was asked to put that in perspective.

Murray split tiebreakers with Querrey in the first two sets, breezed through the third set in 29 minutes and won the match when Querrey returned a serve long. Murray leaned back and pumped both fists, and then swatted the ball into the stands on the opposite end of the court before joining his teammates in a celebration huddle.

Later, he had a hot bath, an ice bath and other treatment on his back.Britain clinched the match at 3-1. The fourth singles match was canceled. Murray reached matched point on Querrey´s serve in the eighth game of the fourth set before the American won three straight points to stay alive.

After falling behind 15-30 in the ninth game, Murray got a new racket. He then double-faulted, giving Querrey break point. Murray won the next three points to clinch the match.In the first-set tiebreaker, Murray was down a mini-break before rallying to win when Querrey hit a drop volley into the net.

Querrey won the second-set tiebreaker on a forehand passing shot and then jumped for joy.Murray immediately rebounded by breaking Querrey twice to go up 4-0 in the third set. He broke Querrey again to win the set in a seventh game that went to deuce four times, clinching it when Querrey hit into the net. (AP)