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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 JULY 2015 57 Sport TENNIS Great Britain are one win away from the Davis Cup semi-finals after Andy and Jamie Murray clinched a crucial doubles victory over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut ANDY Murray was originally not scheduled to play the doubles rubber but the world number three justified his inclusion as the brothers put on a gutsy dis- play to win 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7/5) 6-1. The victory gives Britain a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five tie at Queen's, meaning they need only win one of Sunday's two singles matches to reach their first semi- final since 1981. "We played an unbelievably high level match against a top team," Andy Murray said on court afterwards. "It was an absolutely fantastic atmosphere - to play and rep- resent your country with your brother in a match like this is very special." His brother added: "It was bril- liant, the crowd were amazing, twice as loud as yesterday and we absolutely loved it. "Thanks to the support who cheered from start to finish and hopefully we're in a good posi- tion to win the tie now." The Murrays had not played together since losing at Indian Wells in 2013 but, with the match firmly in the balance after the opening day of singles, captain Leon Smith threw in his grand slam champion ahead of Domin- ic Inglot, who has only recently recovered from a knee injury. The decision looks to have proven a good one although last year's quarter-final against Italy serves as a warning against com- placency, when Andy Murray partnered Colin Fleming to a doubles win before losing to Fa- bio Fognini in the singles a day later. Murray is on his last legs after his Wimbledon semi-final de- feat to Roger Federer just eight days ago, but he has never lost to either Gilles Simon or Rich- ard Gasquet on grass and will be confident of sealing victory on the final day. Jamie Murray and Andy Murray celebrate during their victory Great Britain are one win away from the Davis Cup semi-finals after Andy and Jamie Murray Davis Cup - Murray brothers give GB 2-1 Davis Cup lead Hewitt & Groth keep Aussies alive Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth kept Australia alive in their Davis Cup World Group quarter- final against Kazakhstan with a fighting doubles victory in Darwin yesterday CUP warhorse Hewitt and Groth wrestled with the Kazakh pair of Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov before prevailing 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in just shy of three hours. The Australian pair were un- der pressure to win the pivotal doubles rubber after Kazakhstan won both Friday's opening sin- gles to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five match tie on grass. Hewitt is Australia's most successful player in the Davis Cup and took his total win-loss record to 57-19 in his 40th tie over 17 years. "It's up there," Hewitt said when asked what the doubles victory meant to him. "I haven't played too many doubles matches at 2-0 down when the pressure's on. "Sam and I combined really well today. This is Grothy's first win in a live rubber, so it's fan- tastic to be out here to enjoy it with him." Groth's powerful serve was crucial, but Hewitt's sharp re- turns proved to be the ultimate difference. The Aussie pair broke serve five times and powered to vic- tory after winning a titanic 71-minute second set in a tie- breaker. "We didn't want it to be all over today," Groth said. "Thankfully, Lleyton put me on his back and carried me there." Captain Wally Masur now faces a dilemma whether to play Hewitt and/or big-serving Groth in Sunday's reverse singles ahead of youngsters Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis. 28-time winners Australia must win the two remaining singles matches to win through to the semi-finals. The winner of the tie will face either France or Great Britain in September's semi-finals. Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth of Australia celebrate