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Australia, Spain in lead

MELBOURNE Sept. 20. Australia broke Wimbledon champion Roger Federer's serve in the seventh game of the deciding set on Saturday to claim a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 doubles victory over Switzerland and a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup semifinal.

Lleyton Hewitt can send Australia to the final when he opens singles play on Sunday against Federer, who will be trying to win his 11th straight Davis Cup singles match. Australia will go with Mark Philippoussis in the final match against Michel Kratochvil.

In Malaga, in a hard-fought match that lasted nearly four hours, Argentina's makeshift doubles team of Agustin Calleri and Lucas Arnold defeated Albert Costa and Alex Corretja of Spain 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 and 6-2 to reduce the deficit to 1-2.

The best-of-five tie will be decided in Sunday's reverse singles when world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero plays Mariano Zabaleta and world No. 6 Carlos Moya takes on Gaston Gaudio.

Earlier on Friday, Carlos Moya took advantage of an ailing Mariano Zabaleta to give Spain a 2-0 lead. Moya won 5-7, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1 but only after Zabaleta suffered a cramp in his left leg with the score tied 2-2 in the third set.

World Group results (semifinals):

At Melbourne: Australia leads Switzerland 2-1 (Todd Woodbridge & Wayne Arthurs bt Roger Federer & Marc Rosset 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4)

At Malaga: Spain leads Argentina 2-1 (Albert Costa & Alex Corretja lost to Agustin Calleri & Lucas Arnold 3-6, 6-1, 4-6 and 2-6; Carlos Moya bt Mariano Zabaleta 5-7, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0)

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