Zagreb, Croatia ? Goran Ivanisevic played through arm pain Saturday to help Croatia come back and beat the United States in doubles for a 2-1 lead in the first round of the Davis Cup.

Ivanisevic and Ivan Ljubicic lost the first two sets against the U.S. team of James Blake and Mardy Fish, then constructed a remarkable rally to win 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4.

Ljubicic and 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic embraced in a dance, each taking turns lifting the other off his feet.

Today, Ljubicic can clinch victory for Croatia in the best-of-five series by beating Blake in singles. If the American wins, Fish would play 18-year-old Mario Ancic to settle things.

Ljubicic, who served 30 aces in his singles victory Friday over Fish, was again dominant and clinched the match with a service winner that Blake drove into the net.

Ivanisevic had left shoulder surgery nine months ago and hasn’t played a serious match since. He wasn’t very effective in Saturday’s first two sets, but he did manage to serve aces on some key points.

“I didn’t have a feel for the ball in the first two sets. It got better at the end of the second and then everything went crazy,” the 31-year-old Ivanisevic said.

“I had problems with my arm. It was very tough. I thought my arm might break. You have to keep on going and going. I kept saying to myself: ‘You can do it. You can do it.'”

The Americans won the first two sets with little problem, never losing serve and taking advantage of Ivanisevic’s half-speed, poor serving.

In the 28-minute first set, Ivanisevic was broken on his first service game as he failed to get any of his five first serves into play. In the second, he was broken again on his first service game as the Americans breezed to victory in 34 minutes.