The Hindu : Sport : Nadal thrashes Roddick as Spain enters final

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Nadal thrashes Roddick as Spain enters final

Croatia, Israel earn World Group slots for next year

— PHOTO: AFP

THE HERO: Rafael Nadal put up a virtuoso performance to demolish Andy Roddick and clinch the tie for Spain.

MADRID: Spain beat defending champion USA to reach the Davis Cup final when World No. 1 Rafael Nadal defeated Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on Sunday to give the home side an unbeatable 3-1 lead in their semifinal clash.

The Spaniard, who has already picked up the Wimbledon, Roland Garros and Olympic titles this year, cruised to victory in a colourful, high-spirited atmosphere in a Madrid bullring.

Spain will now play either Argentina or Russia — the former leads their semifinal match in Buenos Aires 2-1 after the visitors pulled one back in the doubles on Saturday after losing both of the opening singles matches on Friday — in the final in November.

It will be Spain’s sixth appearance in the final of the Davis Cup, which it has won twice, in 2000 and in 2004, when Nadal, then just 18 and relatively unknown, also beat Roddick, then the World No. 2.

Overcoming fatigue

Nadal admitted before the match that he was “short on energy and strength after a long season,” in which his last tournament, the US Open, ended with a semifinal loss to Britain’s Andy Murray. But the agile Spaniard showed no signs of fatigue on Sunday, as he hit some superb passing shots at the big-hitting American, who also lost on Friday in an exhausting five-set battle with David Ferrer. Nadal now leads the eighth-ranked Roddick 4-2 in career meetings while Spain is 4-5 against the Americans in Davis Cup ties. On Friday, Nadal outclassed 39th ranked Davis Cup rookie Sam Querrey 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, and fifth-ranked Ferrer came from behind to defeat Roddick 7-6(5), 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 8-6.

Croatia, Israel win

In the playoffs, Croatia and Israel took winning leads at home to earn berths in World Group for next year’s competition. Romania, the Netherlands, Serbia and Switzerland are also through after winning their playoffs.

In Zadar, Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic defeated Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(4) to clinch the tie 3-1 for the host on Sunday. Dudi Sela proved to be Israel’s hero yet again at Ramat Hasharon, winning his second singles rubber of the match 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 against Peru’s against Luis Horna. Belgium managed one win against Switzerland at Lausanne when Xavier Malisse beat Yves Allegro 6-3, 6-2 in the last match of the tie. Earlier, Stephane Bohli made it 4-0 for the host beating Steve Darcis 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

The results: Semifinals: At Madrid: Spain 3 leads USA 1 (Rafael Nadal bt Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-4).

At Buenos Aires: Argentina 2 leads Russia 1 (David Nalbandian & Guillermo Canas lost to Igor Kunitsyn & Dmitry Tursunov 2-6, 1-6, 7-6(9), 6-3, 6-8).

Play-offs: At Apeldoorn: The Netherlands 3 bt South Korea 2 (Thiemo De Bakker bt Jun Woong-sun 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Jesse Huta Galung lost to Lee Hyung-Taik 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-2).

At Bratislava: Slovakia 1 lost to Serbia 4 (Lukas Lacko lost to Victor Troicki 3-6, 4-6; Dominik Hrbaty w/o Janko Tipsarevic).

At Lausanne: Switzerland 4 bt Belgium 1 (Yves Allegro lost to Xavier Malisse 3-6, 2-6; Stephane Bohli bt Steve Darcis 6-3, 1-6, 6-3)

At Ramat Hasharon: Israel 3 leads Peru 1 (Dudi Sela bt Luis Horna 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2).

At London: Britain 2 Austria 2 (Andy Murray bt Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1).

At Zadar: Croatia 3 leads Brazil 1 (Ivo Karlovic bt Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(4)).

At Antofagasta: Chile 2 leads Australia 1 (Fernando Gonzalez & Nicolas Massu lost to Chris Guccione & Carsten Ball 7-6(5), 6-7(8), 3-6, 7-5, 5-7). — Agencies

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