FRIBOURG, Switzerland — Given a supremely tough draw in the 2012 Davis Cup, the United States is off to an exhilarating start.
It swept Roger Federer and Switzerland in the first round, with Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan winning the doubles match on clay, a surface selected by Federer to exploit what was perceived as an American weakness.
But Fish and Bryan, paired for the first time in more than three years, were clearly up for this challenge Saturday before a Swiss crowd that at times turned angry. They defeated Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, the reigning Olympic champions, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The doubles victory gave the Americans a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five, first-round series.
The U.S. will again be on the road for the next round of Davis Cup, an April 6-8 quarterfinal against France or Canada.
— The Associated Press