The Bryans hold to love. Quickly.

Image source, Getty Images

Britain desperately need a service hold to start the third set and Inglot is under pressure when Mike Bryan hits a backhand winner down the line for deuce. Inglot then pounces on a short one and smashes it into the stands before a serve completes the job.

InTheSticks:, external Are Bryans winning cos they're so good or are #GB suffering cos Colin/Dom a new team/not used to playing together?

Amanda, external: Maybe a tactic against Bryans to take full 25 secs between serves to slow it down as they seem to like a fast game?

Gabriela:, external Watching davis cup on bbc 3, one question.... why is Jim wearing a suit on clay?? That's gonna be an expensive dry clean.

Bob Bryan hammers an ace out wide on set point and the crowd wave their sinister giant cut-outs of Captain Courier, who has now added sunglasses to the suit and looks like he's auditioning for CSI San Diego. His work appears to be almost done for the day as the Bryans are in total control now.

Inglot wears one at the net after Bob Bryan smacks a floating ball straight at him, and it's break point to the Bryans... a tame second serve from Fleming sits up nicely for Bob to crunch a forehand return that Inglot cannot control, and the Americans will serve for the set.

A couple of fortuitous returns help Britain to 15-30 and Fleming then lines up a forehand with time to spare, but he pulls it awkwardly into the tram lines and another half-chance disappears. The Bryans are being increasingly tested on serve, however.

A nice stop volley from Inglot opens the game and the Dom 'The Bomb' then lines up a smash that has everyone wincing in anticipation, but rather than land one on an opponent he makes a right mess of it and sends it long. The game is still under his control at 40-15 but two great returns help the Bryans to break point... and Inglot comes up with a big serve.

Bob Bryan is looking rock solid on serve, sweeping through another game, and Leon Smith gives his charges a good talking to at the changeover.

The British pair are bouncing around the net with some confidence now, each of them showing some good hand skills before Inglot thwacks a couple away.

Inglot drives a forehand at the space between the Bryans and it's 30-30 for the second American service game running, but a smash and an angled volley secure the game.

Inglot takes the pace off a few serves and it works as he moves to 40-0, before an attempted second serve at full pace flies long. A volley wraps up the game and this match is moving along at a fair old rate.

Mike Bryan holds serve to 30 as the Americans continue to look fairly untroubled. A quick pep talk for the British team on the changeover before Inglot looks to make a better start to serving in the second set.

Not wanting to tempt fate, but I can't help keeping half an eye on the Argentina v Italy tussle going on in Mar del Plata. The winner of that one will play the winner here, and were that to be Britain it would mean a home quarter-final against Argentina or a trip to Italy and, almost certainly, more clay, on 4-6 April. It's currently 2-1 to Italy. "If we play in Italy it will be on clay - quicksand clay!" says John Lloyd on BBC Three.

Ross Hutchins
British doubles player on BBC TV

"It's been a bit up and down for the British boys, Inglot a bit nervous at the start, but you need to keep close to the Bryans because they can get away from you. Credit to the Bryan brothers throughout their careers, they are the team everyone wants to beat and still they manage to win the Grand Slams, the Olympics and have so much success."

News just in from the ITF: Fleming and Inglot have played one tournament together - an ITF junior event in Corfu in 2001. Inglot was 15 and Fleming was 17, and they made the semi-finals. So the perfect preparation for playing the Bryans after a 13-year gap. Or maybe not. The Americans continue to set the pace, a beautiful lob proving too much for Inglot, and at 30-40 they have their first set point... and Fleming double faults.

The Britons threaten for the first time after they win the best rally of the match with a Fleming volley for 30-30, but the Bryans are too sharp at the net and see out the game. "It looks like Inglot has settled and got a bit more rhythm," says John Lloyd on BBC Three. "It's not a match where you ease yourself into the Davis Cup, against the Bryans, that's for sure."

Tom:, external Believe these our Britain's no.1 and no.2 doubles players, but wonder how important it is they're not a regular partnership?

David:, external If andy murray played doubles regulary what sort of ranking would you think he would be?

A ropey old volley has Inglot in trouble at 0-30 but he finds an ace to cut the deficit. A streaky return from Bob Bryan earns the Americans two break points at 15-40... a Fleming smash and an Inglot serve snuff out the danger and keep the set competitive.

Ross Hutchins
British doubles player on BBC TV

"You're allowed 25 seconds between points, the Bryans take about eight. Mike Bryan is the better returner and plays all the big points on return. He's the more in-your-face. They say Bob Bryan has the best serve in doubles, but he has weaker returns. They complement each other very well."

Bob Bryan wallops down three aces and the Americans hold in the blink of an eye.