Perth, Australia - James Blake converted on only one of his 19 break points, but compensated with 17 aces to pull the US level 1-1 with Germany at the Hopman Cup on Wednesday.

The number ten managed the fightback to defeat Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (7-9), 6-4. In the women's rubber, teenaged Sabine Lisicki remained undefeated at the eight-nation event with her 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 defeat of Meghann Shaughnessy.

The tie went down to the deciding mixed doubles, but mathematically, the US have long odds of reaching the Friday final on the basis matches, ties and sets won.

Blake recovered poise for the former champions and holders in a match against Kiefer which only featured one break of serve, when he caught the German's serve in the first game of the final set.

Kiefer had saved a match point for the American in the second-set tiebreaker before Blake came through to level the sets at one each with a down-the-line winner.

In the third, Blake rode his margin of the break out to a victory in two and a half hours.

"I came out with a win, I'm really happy," said the American who played a tie last year with Shaughnessy when she replaced the late-arriving Serena Williams on the team,

"I played great, but I had to against Nicolas. I was able to serve well and that was key. He put a lot of pressure on me.

"This is something I'm proud of. I keep trying to get better and better, but it's tougher as I'm getting older," said the 29-year-old. "I'm having fun on court and if the body holds up I hope to be in the game for a long time."

Shaughnessy, who missed most of the 2008 season after playing the Hopman and then injuring her knee at the Gold Coast, couldn't cope with the game of Lisicki.

"I didn't think about her knee, I just focussed on my match," said the 56th-ranked winner. "I was down in both sets, but I played especially well in the second.

"I was up and down in the third, but I won and that is what counts. I'm a fighter and I wanted to win, so things turned out well again today."

Russia with Marat Safin and his sister Dinara Safina, was facing Taiwan in the evening session. (dpa)