Tennis:James Blake earned the United States a commanding 2-0 lead with a gutsy 6-3 7-6 6-7 7-6 victory over Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the second singles match of the Davis Cup final late on Friday.
American number one Andy Roddick had outclassed Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 6-4 6-2 in the opening rubber of the three-day tie at Memorial Coliseum.
Blake, who lost to Youzhny in their only previous encounter in last year's semi-final, held off a spirited fightback by his opponent in a fluctuating contest lasting three-and-a-half hours.
The American world number 13 failed to serve out for the match when leading 5-4 in the fourth set, but he held his nerve to clinch the tiebreak 7-3 when 19th-ranked Youzhny netted a forehand.
Blake's victory puts the United States on the brink of a record 32nd Davis Cup title with the dominant Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, due to take on Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev in Saturday's doubles.
The Bryans, winners of five grand slam titles together, have lost just one doubles match in 13 Davis Cup appearances.
Big-serving Roddick fired down 25 aces against Tursunov to wrap up victory in just under two hours and put the United States in early control.
Tursunov, ranked 34th in the world, survived three break points in the third game of the opening set before being broken in the fifth after hitting a backhand wide.
Roddick squandered his first set point in the ninth game but held serve in a tight 10th that featured a further six set points to forge ahead 6-4.
The American world number six broke his opponent in the third game of the second set and survived his only break point in the eighth before unleashing his 19th ace of the match to take it 6-4.
Roared on by the near-capacity crowd, Roddick swept through the third set after breaking Tursunov in the first and fifth games to give the U.S. a perfect start in their bid for a first Davis Cup title since 1995.
Holders Russia, who beat Argentina in last year's final in Moscow, have lost to the U.S twice in three Davis Cup ties.