U.S. is ousted from Davis Cup Finals despite victory over Italy

Madrid — Not even some late heroics — some very, very late ones — were enough to keep the United States from being eliminated from the Davis Cup Finals on Thursday.

The U.S. failed to advance despite beating Italy 2-1 after a doubles match that ended past 4 a.m. local time in Madrid, the second latest finish in tennis history.

Sam Querrey and Jack Sock won the decisive doubles match 7-6 (4), 6-7 (2), 6-4 against Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini, but it wasn't enough to secure the Americans in the quarterfinals as one of the two-best second-place finishers from the six groups.

Only a big win against Italy, without losing many sets or games, would have been enough to send the U.S. to the knockout stage of the revamped team competition.

With the elimination, the U.S. will equal its longest gap between Davis Cup titles, with its last one coming in 2007.

The doubles match ended 4:04 a.m. in the Spanish capital (10:04 p.m. ET), the latest finish in U.S. Davis Cup history and second in tennis history behind Lleyton Hewitt's victory over Marcos Baghdatis at the 2008 Australian Open, which ended past 4:30 a.m. local time.

"I don't even know where we are, what time it is, what day it is," U.S. team captain Mardy Fish said. "That was pretty special from these guys, for sure."

Taylor Fritz had kept the U.S. hopes alive by defeating Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2 to level the series at 1-1 after Fognini had beaten Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3 to put Italy ahead.

"I'm excited for Taylor," Fish said. "That's one of the biggest wins of his life. I'm just happy to be part of it."

The American team lost to Canada in its