Defending champions Serbia eased into the Davis Cup semi-finals yesterday after Janko Tipsarevic, standing in for Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic, defeated Sweden’s Michael Ryderstedt.

Tipsarevic won the fourth rubber of the quarter-final 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 to secure Serbia a September semi-final with Argentina, themselves 5-0 winners against Kazakhstan.

“It feels really good. I know that Serbia was a huge favourite with Robin (Soderling) not here and with Novak,” Tipsarevic said.

“I’m happy that I helped my country once again to go through to the semi-finals.”

Ryderstedt, who was playing his first ever Davis Cup with a world ranking of 297, had put up a good fight but lost to Viktor Troicki in the first rubber on Friday.

Tipsarevic then gave Serbia a 2-0 lead, getting past Ervin Eleskovic when the home player retired injured.

The hosts did see their hopes rekindled on Saturday when Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt won the doubles rubber in straight sets, defeating world number one Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic, who ranks sixth in the world for doubles.

But yesterday, Tipsarevic, again deputising for Djokovic, clearly had the upperhand, breaking Ryderstedt six times en route to victory.

Lindstedt had to give up against Troicki in the final rubber due to a problem with his wrist in the second set as Serbia wrapped up a 4-1 win.

Quarter-finals
Sweden vs Serbia 1-4; Argentina vs Kazakhstan 5-0; US vs Spain 1-2; Germany vs France 1-4.

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