Champions Serbia and France stayed alive in their Davis Cup semi-finals when they both won their decisive doubles rubbers yesterday.
In Belgrade, Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic defeated Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela and Juan Monaco 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2 to trail 2-1 overall while in Cordoba, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra earned France their first point by beating Spanish duo Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2, 6-0.
After world number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the opening singles rubber on Friday, Serbia slumped 2-0 down overnight.
Yesterday, Troicki and Zimonjic took a tense tiebreak and then battled back from 4-1 down in the second set, winning five games in succession, roared on by a 15,000-strong crowd.
“There was so much energy out there,” said Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic, adding that Djokovic was fit to play in today’s singles.
In the Cordoba bullring, nine-time champions France needed to win after Nadal cast off fatigue to thrash Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 in Friday’s opening rubber and David Ferrer then defeated Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.
And Tsonga and Llodra duly obliged giving their experienced Spanish rivals no chance.
But France captain Guy Forget warned: “We still have to beat the best player in the world on clay in the last six years at home. It’s not going to be easy. We still need a miracle.”
Nadal takes on Simon in today’s reverse singles with Ferrer drawn against Gasquet.