Spain, Argentina and Sweden advance to QFs
Holders Serbia take 2-1 lead over India
Spain, Argentina and Sweden booked their spots in the Davis Cup quarter-finals yesterday after sealing victories in their doubles ties to give them unassailable 3-0 wins in the World Group first round.
Defending champions Serbia pulled 2-1 ahead of India after a thrilling battle in Belgrade as France lead Austria by the same scoreline in Vienna and the United States also hold a 2-1 advantage over Chile.
The Rafael Nadal-inspired Spaniards came away 3-0 winners against hosts Belgium at Charleroi after Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez beat Steve Darcis and Olivier Rochus 7-6 (7/0), 6-4, 6-3. The Spanish line-up, which included three top ten players, left no chance to their Belgium rivals who were without a top 50 player.
The visitors were also helped by the choice of synthetic surface which perfectly suited their slow style of play.
World number one Nadal beat 144-ranked Ruben Bemelmans 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 on Friday with Fernando Verdasco downing Belgium’s top player Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.
Spain are seeking a third Davis Cup win in four years after 2008 and 2009 and have been boosted by Nadal’s decision to play. They will meet the winners of the tie between the United States and Chile in July.
In Buenos Aires, first-time pairing Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank defeated Victor Hanescu and Horia Tecau, to give Argentina an unassail-able 3-0 lead and a quarter-final spot for the 10th consecutive year.
David Nalbandian and Juan Monaco had given the hosts a 2-0 advantage on Friday. Argen-tina will next play either the Czech Republic or Kazakhstan.
Seven-time champions Sweden advanced after Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt saw them past Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 in Boraas.
Sweden will have a home quarter-final against the winner of the tie between defending champions Serbia and India which will be decided today.