Ferrero, Ferrer give Spain 2-0 lead

Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer gave champions Spain a 2-0 lead over Israel with crushing singles victories on the opening day of their Davis Cup World Group semi-final yesterday.

Roared on by the boisterous home support in Murcia, former world number one Ferrero thumped Dudi Sela 6-4 6-2 6-0 after Ferrer had earlier thrashed Harel Levy 6-1 6-4 6-3.

Israel are through to the last four for the first time but must now win today's doubles and the two reverse singles tomorrow if they are to upset the home side on their favoured clay surface.

Ferrero, a former French Open champion, has been enjoying a fine run of form, climbing back up the rankings to 21, and sealed victory against Sela on his first match point when the world number 29 went wide with a forehand.

Levy is ranked more than one hundred places below Ferrer and although he showed some fight in the second set of the opening singles to grab two breaks of serve the Spaniard easily came through.

"It certainly wasn't as comfortable a win as it might have looked," Ferrer said at a news conference. "The court was very slow and it was hard to finish off the points."

Local favourite Ferrer, who was born just up the coast in Javea, was cheered on by top-10 pair Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, both out injured, who were watching from the stands at the purpose-built, 12,000-seater arena.

Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez are due to take on doubles specialists Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram today and the winners of the tie will play Croatia or Czech Republic in the final.

Marathon match

Ivo Karlovic fired a world record 78 aces but still lost to Radek Stepanek in an extraordinary match lasting nearly six hours as Czech Republic took a 1-0 lead over Croatia.

The players were exhausted at the end of a thrilling, see-saw encounter won 6-7 7-6 7-6 6-7 16-14 by Stepanek in a noisy Zatika Arena in the northern city of Porec.

"I have no words right now, it was like a lottery and I managed to seize my chances," said Stepanek at the end of the fourth longest Davis Cup match.

"It was a long and exhausting match but when you play for your country it's worth it," he said.