Nadal leads Spain to final

World number one Rafael Nadal humbled Andy Roddick with a clay-court masterclass yesterday to knock holders the United States out of the Davis Cup and send Spain through to their sixth final.

Concerns that Nadal was too tired to shine after playing 103 matches this year were banished as he dismissed the world number eight 6-4 6-0 6-4 in two hours 12 minutes to win Spain the tie, before Feliciano Lopez beat Sam Querrey in the best-of-three dead rubber, 7-6 7-6, to end the tie 4-1.

"It is one of the most beautiful feelings I could experience in my career," an ecstatic Nadal told Spanish television.

Spain will play Argentina in the Nov. 21-23 final as they seek to win the 108-year-old trophy for the third time.

Wary of getting into long rallies with an opponent Roddick later said Nadal was the best clay court player ever, the American repeatedly rushed to the net only to be picked off by superb passing shots as Nadal started to find his rhythm midway through the first set.

Roddick's normally ferocious first serve hit the target only 62 per cent of the time in the overcast conditions, but it made little difference as Nadal whipped passing shots, lobs and angled winners to all corners of the court in Madrid's Las Ventas bullring.

As the pressure grew, the 26-year-old Nebraskan bravely held his serve in the fifth game but the 22-year-old Mallorcan broke emphatically two games later and held off break back points to close out the opener with an ace in 47 minutes.

Nadal, who has lost only one clay-court match this year, then blew the helpless Roddick away, working the dejected American around the court and chasing down every shot to gobble up the second set 6-0 as the overwhelmingly Spanish crowd of 21,000 chanted "Rafa, Rafa".

By the third set, rain clouds that had delayed the match by an hour had disappeared and sun flooded the bullring.

"It was a great match," Nadal said afterwards.

"Certainly, one of the most emotional matches in the last few months.

"To play at home in front of 20,000 people is something I have rarely experienced. You have to enjoy moments like this."

Spanish captain Emilio Sanchez-Vicario said afterwards Nadal had been a doubt for the game after straining a muscle on Saturday and Fernando Verdasco had been readied to take his place.

On Saturday, Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish took a point for the US, winning their doubles match against Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, to briefly pull the five-match tie back to 2-1.

Argentina win 3-2

Teenager Juan Martin del Potro demolished Igor Andreev in straight sets late yesterday to give Argentina a 3-2 win over Russia and send them into a Davis Cup final against Spain.

Del Potro, two days short of his 20th birthday and playing his first home Davis Cup tie, won 6-4 6-2 6-1 as Argentina avenged their 2006 final defeat by the same opponents.

Earlier, Nikolay Davydenko hauled the Russians back into the tie by beating a tired David Nalbandian 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-0.

World Group

Chile, Austria, Croatia, Israel, Romania and the Netherlands secured places in the World Group of the Davis Cup for 2009 after completing play-off victories in the reverse singles yesterday.

Australia, champions 28 times but without the injured Lleyton Hewitt, will remain in the Asia/Oceania group after losing in Chile.

Austria beat Britain 3-2 on the grass of Wimbledon as world number four Andy Murray's victory over Austrian number one Juergen Melzer to level at 2-2 proved to be in vain.