The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Russia, Sweden in semifinals

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Monday, Apr 09, 2007
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Russia, Sweden in semifinals

USA and Germany also make the last four

MOSCOW: Marat Safin beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to give Russia a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals after a 3-2 win over France.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who helped Russia extend its unbeaten streak at home to 13, broke Mathieu in the second game of the second set and twice in the third set.

Safin, who didn't play for the first two days, substituted for Mikhail Youzhny. Earlier, Sebastien Grosjean kept France alive by beating Igor Andreev 7-5, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on clay at the Luzhniki Indoor Arena.

At Goteborg, Jonas Bjorkman easily beat Sebastian Prieto 6-1, 6-2 in the first reverse singles to give Sweden an unassailable lead (4-0) over Argentina in the quarterfinals. Later Juan Martin del Potro, an 18-year-old, playing in his second Davis Cup match, beat Swedish rookie Robert Lindstedt 7-6(7), 6-4 in the final match.

At Ostend, Belgium. Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann beat Olivier and Christophe Rochus 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday to lead Germany to its first Davis Cup semifinal appearance in a dozen years.

At North Carolina, the top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) to give the 31-time champion Americans a spot in the semifinals.

The results (quarterfinals):

At Moscow: Russia bt France 3-2 (Igor Andreev & Nikolay Davydenko bt Sebastien Grosjean & Michael Llodra 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Andreev lost to Grosjean 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6; Marat Safin bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2).

At Goteborg: Sweden bt Argentina 4-1 (Thomas Johansson & Jonas Bjorkman bt Guillermo Canas & David Nalbandian 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-3; Bjorkman bt Sebastian Prieto 6-1, 6-2; Robert Lindstedt lost to Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7(7), 4-6).

At Ostend: Germany bt Belgium 3-2 (Christophe & Olivier Rochus lost to

Alexander Waske & Michael Kohlmann 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 1-6; Christophe Rochus bt Kohlmann 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Dick Norman bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-3).

At North Carolina: United States leads Spain 3-0 (Bob & Mike Bryan bt Fernando Verdasco & Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5)).

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