PARIS, 26 September 2004 — Tommy Robredo and Rafael Nadal put Spain within sight of the Davis Cup final yesterday with a marathon 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement to give their side a 2-1 semifinal lead.
Spain need just one more point from today’s reverse singles to put them in the final where they are likely to face the United States who hold a 2-0 lead over Belarus.
Robredo and Nadal, playing together for the first time, clinched victory in three hours and 47 minutes against a makeshift French pairing which had seen Clement called in as a late replacement for Fabrice Santoro who had been injured losing his singles to Juan Carlos Ferrero.
That rubber had been held over from Friday and former French Open winner Ferrero wasted no time getting down to business, brushing aside Santoro.
He needed just 21 minutes to finish off the match 6-3, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 after it had been held over from Friday night because of failing light. Santoro blamed a left wrist injury picked up in play on Friday for his failure to fight back yesterday.
“I picked up the injury yesterday at the beginning of the second set making a return of service,” explained Santoro.
The United States, winners on 31 occasions, are in control of their semifinal in Charleston after Andy Roddick eased past Vladimir Voltchkov 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and sending down another world record serve of 155 mph for good measure.
Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish had a longer day on court than Roddick, but worked his way to a 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Belarussian No. 1 Max Mirnyi in two hours, 37 minutes.
In the World Group playoffs, which will determine the teams playing in the 16-team elite group next season, Australia opened up an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Morocco in Perth
The doubles pairing of Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs, both aged 33, eventually proved too experienced for the determined Morrocan combination of Mounir El Aarej and Medhi Tahiri winning 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
Australia had taken a 2-0 lead after Arthurs downed El Aarej and world No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt defeated Tahiri in the opening singles rubbers.
Russia will also be playing in the World Group in 2005 after Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny beat twins Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 for a 3-0 lead over Thailand.
The Russian favorites had taken a commanding 2-0 lead on Friday after Igor Andreev and Safin scored easy straight-sets wins over Paradorn and Danai Udomchoke.
Former world No. 1 Safin crushed Danai 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in the second match to put the home team in complete control, after Andreev beat Thai No. 1 Paradorn 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in the opening singles rubber.
In Portschach, Austria and Great Britain were locked at 1-1. As the light finally faded, the Austrian doubles pair of Alexander Peya and Julian Knowle led Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 and will resume hostilities today morning before the reverse singles start.
Earlier in the day, Rusedski beat Jurgen Melzer, the Austrian No. 1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) after Tim Henman’s swift and miserable 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 loss to Koubek at the start of the day.
Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic sealed Croatia’s place in the World Group after a dramatic five-set doubles victory in their tie against Belgium in Rijeka. The duo overcame Dick Norman and Kristof Vliegen 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 7-5 in four hours 10 minutes to give their side a 3-0 winning lead.
Germany are one point away from a return to the World Gorup after Tommy Haas and Alexander Waske defeated Slovakia’s home favorites Dominik Hrbaty and Karol Kucera 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 in Bratislava.
Canada defeated Romania in doubles to keep alive their chances in Bucharest.
The Canadian pair of Daniel Nestor and Frederic Niemeyer defeated Victor Ionita and Florin Mergea 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in two hours and 17 minutes.
Kuznetsova Set for Williams Clash
In Beijing, US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat reigning Wimbledon queen Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals of the $585,000 China Open here yesterday and now faces No. 1 seed American Serena Williams in the tournament’s inaugural final.
Six-time grand slam winner Williams reached today’s finals by dispatching the third Russian semifinalist Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-3. For Kuznetsova it was her 14th consecutive win since taking the US Open earlier this month and the seventh final she has reached in WTA tournaments since August 2003.
Graf Delighted With Stadium Honor
In Berlin, German tennis legend Steffi Graf could not hide her delight yesterday after the center court for the German Open in Berlin was named after her following a charity match with Argentinian great Gabriela Sabatini.
Graf, 35, rolled back the years to defeat Sabatini 6-1, 7-5 in straight sets and win the charity match, with the proceeds going to her charity ‘Children for Tomorrow’, and could not hide her delight at having her name attached to the German Open.
