Aussies seal Davis Cup tie

Australia has won its Davis Cup tie against Taiwan 3-0 thanks to a straight sets win in the doubles rubber at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday.

Carsten Ball and Paul Hanley teamed to record a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 victory over Tsung-Hua Yang and Chu-Huan Yi.

"We were under a pressure a little bit especially in that first set ... they surprised a little bit actually, they served quite well and they volleyed pretty well at the start," Hanley explained.

Ball added that the opposition played freely with nothing to lose.

"They played a really good match, but we gained momentum from getting those first two breakers and played better in the third," he said.

Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald was delighted with the performance of the new national pair.

"It was a good win because when you play two guys who actually serve that big it tightens things up a lot. It makes it more tense on your own serve," he said

"I thought our guys improved as the match went on and have the potential to be a really good team together."

On Friday, 17-year-old Bernard Tomic gave the hosts a dream start with a comprehensive win over Yang, before Peter Luczak defeated Yi in four sets to put his country in a dominant position.

Australia will now face the winner of the tie between Japan and the Philippines in May and a win there will send the Aussies back into a play-off to return to the world group in September.