PORTLAND (Oregon), Dec 2: The United States captured the Davis Cup on Saturday, dethroning defending champions Russia to end a 12-year drought in the international tennis competition.

A doubles victory by Bob and Mike Bryan gave the Americans an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Russia in the best-of-five match World Group final.

The outcome had seemed all but inevitable after Andy Roddick and James Blake posted singles victories on Friday.

Although the United States boast the most Davis Cup titles of any nation - a tally that now stands at 32 - their last victory had come in 1995 when a Pete Sampras-led team defeated Russia in the final.

While the triumph ended a national dry spell, it also marked the end of a passionate personal journey for this particular Davis Cup squad, captained by Patrick McEnroe.

The Bryan twins delivered the third point with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev.

On Friday, Roddick beat Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and Blake defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3).

The tie marked the first time the US had hosted a Davis Cup final since 1992, when the United States beat Switzerland in Fort Worth, Texas, and a 10-year-old Roddick was in the crowd.

The Americans reached the final with victories over the Czech Republic at Ostrava, Spain at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Sweden in the semi-finals at Gothenburg.

The Bryans – 12-1 in Davis Cup play coming into the clash - were the heavy favourites over Davydenko and Andreev, who were playing together for the first time since April.

The Russians were able to push the US duo in the opening set, as neither team surrendered a service break en route to the tiebreaker.

The Russians took a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker before the Americans won six of the next seven points.

The Bryans broke Davydenko in the opening game of the second set and the Russians couldn’t convert their only break chance, against Bob Bryan’s serve in the sixth game.

Despite his world No. 4 ranking in singles, Davydenko had been left out of the singles lineup by Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev, and it was Davydenko’s serve that the Bryans were able to pounce on again in the third set.

They broke him twice to seal the victory and spark a celebration by the US team on the court at Memorial Coliseum as Roddick, Blake and McEnroe savored their first Davis Cup triumph to the cheers and chants of the 12,000-strong crowd.

Roddick had started the Americans on the road to victory in style on Friday, firing 25 aces in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over a tentative Dmitry Tursunov.

Blake followed up with a gutsy 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3) victory over Mikhail Youzhny, defying critics who doubted his ability to come through in a meaningful Davis Cup match. —AFP