U.S. Gets Doubles Win and Extra Day

The United States ended its Davis Cup losing streak in doubles Sunday at Stone Mountain, Ga., but not fast enough to keep the Russians from extending the series another day.

Richey Reneberg and Todd Martin, paired for the first time in the Davis Cup, overpowered Russian star Yevgeny Kafelnikov and 18-year-old Marat Safin, 7-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, giving the Americans a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five event.

Because the match exceeded 30 games, the Russians decided to play the reverse singles today. Kafelnikov will meet Andre Agassi and Safin takes on Jim Courier at Stone Mountain’s International Tennis Center in suburban Atlanta.

The first-round series is a day behind schedule because rain washed out Friday’s opening singles matches.

The Americans had not won a Davis Cup doubles match since a first-round triumph against Mexico in 1996, quite a change from the 1970s and ‘80s when teams such as Stan Smith-Bob Lutz and John McEnroe-Peter Fleming provided a virtually automatic point on the middle day.

“It’s obviously a monkey off everyone’s back,” said captain Tom Gullikson, whose team has a 6-8 doubles record during his tenure. “It makes tomorrow seem like a much better chance for us with Agassi going first, then Courier backing him up. It gives that all-important 2-1 lead.”

Indeed, the Americans do seem to be in command.

While Kafelnikov is the sixth-ranked player in the world, Agassi has revitalized his career since falling to No. 141 five months ago. Should Agassi lose to Kafelnikov, Courier would be an overwhelming favorite against Safin, a Davis Cup rookie whose nervousness and inexperience has been evident in his first two matches.

The Russians used Safin on Sunday instead of doubles specialist Andrei Olhovskiy, who reportedly is still suffering complications from knee surgery two months ago.

“Unfortunately, he was uptight, which is understandable,” Kafelnikov said. “The guy is playing the first time in a Davis Cup against the United States, against Agassi, Courier, Martin and Reneberg.”

Martin lost two Davis Cup doubles matches last year, including the deciding point in a humiliating finals sweep by Sweden when teamed with Jonathan Stark. Reneberg looked even worse in his last Davis Cup event, losing in straight sets to the Brazilians in February 1997 while paired with Alex O’Brien.

But Martin and Reneberg reached the finals last month at Indian Wells, and Gullikson tapped them to play against Russia.

“I didn’t think I would get another shot, to be honest,” Reneberg said. “I wasn’t nervous at all today. I was very excited to play.”

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Defending champion Sweden avoided a shocking upset in the Davis Cup, defeating Slovakia, 3-2, after having lost the first two matches.

Magnus Gustafsson capped the Swedish comeback, beating Dominik Hrbaty, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), in the decisive singles match after Magnus Norman kept Sweden’s hopes alive by defeating Karol Kucera, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Another Davis Cup power, Australia, wasn’t as fortunate as Sweden. The Aussies were beaten by Zimbabwe, 3-2, as brothers Byron and Wayne Black won both singles Sunday.

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Amanda Coetzer did what Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles couldn’t this week--outlast Romania’s Irina Spirlea and win the Family Circle Championship at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The fourth-seeded South African defeated Spirlea, 6-3, 6-4, for her first top-tier victory on the WTA Tour.