San Diego - Andy Murray beat Sam Querrey in four sets Sunday to send Great Britain into the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1986.
Wimbledon champion Murray posted his second singles victory of the tie, downing Querrey 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-3 to capture the needed third point in a 3-1 victory in the best-of-five match tie.
Britain had seized a commanding 2-0 lead on the opening day on Friday as 175th-ranked James Ward pulled off a remarkable comeback win over Querrey.
Ward won 10 of the last 11 games to grab the five-set triumph, after Murray had crushed Davis Cup newcomer Donald Young in straight sets.
Young was a late replacement in the US squad for injured John Isner.
The formidable doubles duo of Bob and Mike Bryan had kept the Americans alive with a doubles victory over Colin Fleming and Dominic Inglot on Saturday.
However, Querrey couldn't prevent Great Britain from posting their first Davis Cup win over the United States since 1935.
That winning British team was led by Fred Perry, putting Murray in Perry's footsteps again after the Scot's Wimbledon triumph last year made him the first British man to win at the All England Club since Perry in 1936.
While he delivered two of Great Britain's three points, Murray said Ward's magnificent rally against Querrey on Friday shouldn't be overlooked.
"It's obviously nice, you want to try and contribute as much as possible in these weeks," Murray said.
"James had a great win against Sam the first day to put us in that position and it was up to me today to try and close it out."
Murray, who had back surgery in September, needed two hours and 54 minutes to get past Querrey on the red clay court at Petco Park - home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres.
Murray and Querrey split the first two closely contested sets. Murray had a chance to serve out the first in the 10th game but was broken for the second time and they went to the decider.
In the second, neither man managed to gain a service break and Querrey took the tiebreaker, but he was unable to build on that momentum as Murray broke him twice en route to a 3-0 lead in the third frame.
Murray earned the break he needed in the sixth game of the fourth set, but had to fend off two break points in the final game before sealing the match when Querrey sent a service return out.
Murray let loose with a yell of delight, then celebrated with his team-mates. The scheduled fifth rubber between Young and Ward was scrapped.
In the quarter-finals Britain will face Italy, who sealed a 3-1 victory over Argentina in Mar del Plata on Sunday.
"This is the first time I've been involved in Davis Cup that we've had a chance of winning the competition," Murray said. "It's obviously going to be extremely tough but we have a great team spirit."
The United States will face a playoff to remain in the elite World Group.
Results of the Davis Cup World Group first round ties on Sunday:
At Ostrava
Czech Republic 3 Netherlands 2
Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 6-3, 6-3
Played on Saturday:
Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Robin Haase/Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4)
Played on Friday:
Robin Haase (NED) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-1
Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
(Czech Republic qualify for quarter-finals)
At Frankfurt
Germany 4 Spain 1
Daniel Brands (GER) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) -- withdrew injured
Played on Saturday:
Tommy Haas/Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Fernando Verdasco/David Marrero (ESP) 7-6(7/5), 6-7(9/11), 7-6(9/7), 6-3
Played on Friday:
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Florian Mayer (GER) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 5-7, 6-3
(Germany qualify for quarter-finals)
At Novi Sad
Serbia 2 Switzerland 3
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) bt Marco Chuidinelli (SUI) 6-4, 6-4
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Michael Lammer (SUI) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Played on Saturday:
Marco Chiudinelli/Michael Lammer (SUI) bt Nenad Zimonjic/Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 6-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-6 (7/2), 6-2
Played on Friday:
Roger Federer (SUI) bt Ilija Bozoljac (SRB) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7)
(Switzerland qualify for quarter-finals)
At Mouilleron-le-Captif
France 5 Australia 0
Gal Monfils (FRA) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-4, 6-1
Played on Saturday:
Richard Gasquet/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Chris Guccione/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-5
Played on Friday:
Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6,(7/2)
(France qualify for quarter-finals)
At Astana
Kazakhstan 3 Belgium 2
Andrei Golubev (KAZ) bt Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
David Goffin (BEL) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
Played on Saturday:
Olivier Rochus/Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) bt Mikhail Kukushkin/Yevgeny Korolev (KAZ) 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Played on Friday:
Andrei Golubev (KAZ) bt David Goffin (BEL) 7-6 (11/9), 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 12-10
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3
(Kazakhstan qualify for quarter-finals)
At Tokyo
Japan 4 Canada 1
Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-2, 1-0 - retired
Go Soeda (JPN) bt Peter Polansky (CAN) 6-1, 6-4
Played on Saturday:
Kei Nishikori/Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) bt Frank Dancevic/Daniel Nestor (CAN) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4
Played on Friday:
Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Peter Polansky (CAN) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Frank Dancevic (CAN) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
(Japan qualify for quarter-finals)
At Mar del Plata
Argentina 1 Italy 3
Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
(Dead rubber not played)
Played on Saturday:
Fabio Fognini/Simone Bolelli (ITA) bt Horacio Zeballos/Eduardo Schwank (ARG) 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Played on Friday:
Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1
Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
(Italy qualify for quarter-finals)
At San Diego
USA 1 Great Britain 3
Andy Murray (GBR) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-3
(Dead rubber not played)
Played on Saturday:
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) bt Colin Fleming/Dominic Inglot (GBR) 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
Played on Friday:
Andy Murray (GBR) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
James Ward (GBR) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
(Great Britain qualify for quarter-finals)