The Hindu : Sport : Winning leads for Sweden and Germany

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Winning leads for Sweden and Germany

Mikhail Youzhny. — Photo: AFP

LONDON: A quartet of thirty-somethings, led by Jonas Bjorkman at 35, took former champions Sweden and Germany into the semifinals of the Davis Cup on Saturday.

Bjorkman and 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, 32, gave Sweden a 3-0 winning lead over last year's runner-up Argentina with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas in the doubles in Gothenburg. Seven-time champion Sweden had not reached the final four of the world group since 2001.

Germany took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Belgium after Michael Kohlmann, 34, and Alexander Waske, 32, defeated brothers Olivier and Christophe Rochus 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.

The Germans have been champions on three occasions but the last time they were semifinalists was in 1995, when Boris Becker was their top player, and Philipp Kohlschreiber, who made a victorious cup debut in Friday's singles, was 11 years old.

Russia recorded its first Davis Cup doubles win over France to take a 2-1 lead in the Moscow quarterfinal.

Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev beat Sebastien Grosjean and Michael Llodra 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to become the first Russian or Soviet doubles pair to beat France in seven meetings, going back to 1973. On Friday, Mikhail Youzhny proved Russia's hero, battling to win a tough match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

The results: At Ostend: Belgium trails Germany 0-3 (Olivier Rochus lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 5-7, 6-7(4); Christophe Rochus & Olivier Rochus lost to Alexander Waske & Michael Kohlmann 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 1-6).

At Moscow: Russia leads France 2-1 (Mikhail Youzhny bt Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-3, 6-7(8), 5-7, 8-6; Igor Andreev & Nikolay Davydenko bt Sebastien Grosjean & Michael Llodra 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3).

At Gothenburg: Sweden leads Argentina 3-0 (Jonas Bjorkman & Thomas Johansson bt Guillermo Canas & David Nalbandian 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-3).

At Winston-Salem: United States leads Spain 2-0 (James Blake bt Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Andy Roddick bt Fernando Verdasco 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-4). — Agencies

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