Spain, Sweden Clinch Quarter-final Berths; Czech Republic Turns The Tide

© Getty ImagesTomas Berdych and Lukas Dlouhy gave the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead.

BELGIUM 0 SPAIN 3
Charleroi, Belgium; Hard, Indoor

Spain advanced to the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row on Saturday in Charleroi as Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco defeated Belgium's Steve Darcis and Olivier Rochus 7-6(0), 6-4, 6-3 to give the visiting nation an unassailable 3-0 lead.

“In sport, everything can change on a few points. What is now 3-0 could easily have been 2-1, so we are happy," said Spain captain Albert Costa. “We have done a good job all week, and my players adapted to the court really well. It’s now time to enjoy this victory.”

On Friday Verdasco had opened the tie by beating Xavier Malisse in straight sets, before World No. 1 Rafael Nadal returned after a five-week lay-off to dismiss Ruben Bemelmans also without the loss of a set. After losing in the quarter-finals to France last year, Spain is bidding to regain the Davis Cup trophy it previously won in 2000, 2004, and 2008-2009.

CZECH REPUBLIC 2 KAZAKHSTAN 1
Ostrava, Czech Republic; Hard, Indoor

The Czech Republic looks to have turned the tide in its Davis Cup first-round tie with Kazakhstan after Tomas Berdych and Lukas Dlouhy gave the host nation a 2-1 lead in Ostrava on Saturday. The Czech duo defeated Evgeny Korolev and Yuri Schukin 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 31 minutes.

“We were going into this match with the mindset that we have to play our game and we have to focus for our team,” said Dlouhy. “We did well; we went through in three sets. I would say that it was a great match from both sides.”

Kazakh No. 1 Andrey Golubev had given the World Group debutant an early lead in the tie with a five-set victory over Jan Hajek, but World No. 7 Berdych levelled for the Czechs as he beat Mikhail Kukushkin in Friday’s second singles match. Berdych will look to clinch the tie for the Czech Republic when he plays Golubev in the first of the reverse singles on Sunday.

Berdych said, “I was ready to come here to play for three days and I’m ready for that. It just needs me to bring good form and play well and try to bring the third point.”

CHILE 1 USA 2
Santiago, Chile; Clay, Outdoors

The United States rebounded strongly from the loss of the second singles rubber to Chile as World No. 1 doubles duo Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan gave the visiting nation a 2-1 lead by defeating Jorge Aguilar and Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) in two hours and 18 minutes. The twins improved to a 16-2 Davis Cup record together as they broke serve five times from 13 opportunities.

World No. 8 Andy Roddick, who defeated Massu in the opening rubber, will have the chance to clinch the tie for the Americans when he faces World No. 165 Paul Capdeville in the first of the reverse singles on Sunday. Capdeville posted one of the biggest wins of his career when he came from two-sets-down to beat John Isner in Friday’s second match. The winner of the tie will play Spain in the quarter-finals.
 
SWEDEN 3 RUSSIA 0
Boras, Sweden; Hard, Indoor

Sweden wrapped up victory over Russia with a day to spare in Boras as Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt defeated Igor Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(6), 6-2 in three hours and 25 minutes. On Friday Robin Soderling and Joachim Johansson had given the host nation a commanding lead with victory in the singles rubbers.

Seven-time Davis Cup champion Sweden could face Serbia at home in the quarter-finals as it looks to win the title for the first time since 1998. “I’m very proud of the guys,” said Sweden captain Thomas Enqvist. “They’ve been working really hard coming into this game, preparing really well. We’re very excited to win.”