Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig emerged triumphant over doubles specialists Bob and Mike Bryan as Croatia stayed alive in its Davis Cup World Group quarter-final tie in the United States.
Trailing 2-0 and on the verge of elimination after Cilic and Borna Coric both lost to USA pair Jack Sock and John Isner respectively on Friday, the equation was simple for Croatia.
And the Croatians got the job done, with Cilic - a late replacement for Marin Draganja - and Dodig seeing off the Bryan brothers 6-2 2-6 6-2 6-4 in Portland on Saturday.
The tie will now go down to the final day, with Cilic to try and keep the matchup alive against Isner in Sunday's reverse singles, while Sock and Coric could potentially contest the decisive fifth rubber.
The other three World Group quarter-finals will all be decided on Sunday, with reigning champions Great Britain, Argentina and France all in the box seat in their respective ties.
Britain's day in Belgrade got off to a poor start when Dusan Lajovic thrashed James Ward 6-1 6-3 6-2 in the delayed second singles rubber.
However, Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot teamed up to beat Filip Krajinovic and Nenad Zimonjic in four sets, meaning Britain will require a solitary singles win on the final day.
Similarly in Pesaro, where Fabio Fognini got Italy back on level terms with Argentina, only for the latter to move 2-1 up with a doubles victory.
Fognini dropped just seven games in thrashing Juan Monaco, before coming from two sets down alongside Paolo Lorenzi to force Juan Martin Del Potro - on his Davis Cup return - and Guido Pella into a decider.
It was the Argentine pair who prevailed 6-4 in the fifth, though, leaving Italy 2-1 down.
France moved ahead against Czech Republic thanks to Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beating Lukas Rosol and Radek Stepanek 6-1 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4.
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