France Wins Tie Against Canada; Karlovic Provides Heroics For Croatia

© Getty ImagesIvo Karlovic won three points for Croatia against Japan.

A round-up of the eight Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round ties on Sunday.

JAPAN 2, CROATIA 3
Hard, Indoor - Hyogo, Japan

Ivo Karlovic became Croatia's hero when he helped the 2005 champion reach the quarter-finals, where it will face four-time finalist Argentina.

The 32-year-old Karlovic won his third point of the week when he hit 17 aces and 49 winners to beat Go Soeda 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-4 in the deciding rubber over one hour and 48 minutes. He beat Kei Nishikori on Friday and partnered Ivan Dodig to a doubles rubber victory on Saturday.

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Earlier on Sunday, Nishikori overcome Croatia's Dodig 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 53 minutes to level the tie at 2-2.

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AUSTRIA 3, RUSSIA 2
Hard, Indoor - Wiener Neustadt, Austria

Austria has reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1995 after former World No. 8 Jurgen Melzer defeated Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia 6-2, 6-4, 6-1, in one hour and 43 minutes, in the first reverse singles rubber. Melzer converted seven of 14 break points, hit 11 aces and 43 winners in front of a capacity crowd.

In the dead reverse singles rubber, Igor Kunitsyn edged Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) to give Russia its second point.

SERBIA 4, SWEDEN 1
Hard, Indoor - Nis, Serbia

World No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic recorded his 31st Davis Cup singles win for Serbia in beating Sweden's Michael Ryderstedt 6-2, 7-6(5), 7-5 in two hours and 20 minutes. It gives the 2010 champion a quarter-final tie against Czech Republic.

"I want to thank my team for standing by me through the thick and thin and this is also the best home crowd we have ever played for," said Tipsarevic, in a courtside interview. Tipsarevic beat Filip Prpic on Friday and partnered Nenad Zimonjic to a five-set doubles win on Saturday.

Dusan Lajovic defeated Prpic 6-4, 6-4 in a dead reverse rubber to complete the tie.

CANADA 1, FRANCE 4
Hard, Indoors - Vancouver, Canada

World No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga clinched France’s place in the quarter-finals after cruising past Frank Dancevic 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 to give his team an unassailable 3-1 lead against Canada in the first reverse singles rubber.

Tsonga won 86 per cent of his first serve points and broke Dancevic six times to wrap up the victory in one hour and 59 minutes.

Gael Monfils won the dead rubber to close out the tie, defeating Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 16 minutes.

France advances to play the United States.

SPAIN 5, KAZAKHSTAN 0
Clay, Indoors - Oviedo, Spain

Nicolas Almagro and Marcel Granollers clinched a 5-0 sweep for defending champion Spain over Kazakhstan after both won their dead reverse singles rubbers. Almagro beat Evgeny Korolev, while Granollers topped Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3.

SWITZERLAND 0, UNITED STATES 5
Clay, Indoor - Fribourg, Switzerland

United States completed the tie unbeaten with Ryan Harrison defeating Michael Lammer 7-6(0), 7-6(4) and John Isner overcoming Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 6-4 in the dead reverse singles rubbers. The Americans will take on France in the quarter-finals.

CZECH REPUBLIC 4, ITALY 1
Hard, Indoor - Ostrava, Czech Republic

Having lost the tie on Saturday, Italy got on the board in the final rubber, as Simone Bolelli defeated Frantisek Cermak 6-4, 6-4 in a dead reverse singles rubber. Lukas Rosol gave the Czech Republic its fourth point earlier with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Andreas Seppi.

GERMANY 1, ARGENTINA 4
Clay, Indoor - Bamberg, Germany

Argentina and Germany split their two dead reverse singles rubbers. Juan Ignacio Chela beat Florian Mayer 7-5, 7-5 to put Argentina up 4-0, before Cedrick-Marcel Stebe topped Eduardo Schwank 7-6(1), 7-5 to deny the Argentines a sweep.

In the quarter-finals, Argentina will square off against Croatia.