Davis Cup Round-up: US at Russia, Aussies at Argentina

Russia d. France 4-1

Unheralded Russian Dmitry Tursunov played hero and continued Richard Gasquet's weekend misery in the first singles Sunday, clinching the tie with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-5 win to put Russia in the Davis Cup semifinals.

It was Gasquet's second five-set loss of the weekend following his Friday defeat by Marat Safin.

Tursunov was a replacement for Nikolay Davydenko, who on Friday suffered from cramps during his singles win.

In the dead-rubber fifth singles, Mikhail Youzhny beat Michael Llodra 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3).

The Safin-led team, including the Top 10er Davydenko who last year reached the French Open semis, will be the favorites in the semifinals as they host the U.S., likely on an indoor claycourt in September.

U.S. d. Chile 3-2

After a slow start Andy Roddick clinched a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals for the U.S. Sunday, coming from a set down to defeat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

"It's just being in the right place at the right time," said Roddick on never failing to clinch a tie for the U.S. "It's great competing with friends you love and respect."

The U.S. is now 4-0 over Chile in Davis Cup meetings.

In the final dead rubber, James Blake had insult added to further insult, going 0-2 in singles over the weekend when he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Paul Capdeville.

In the September semifinals the U.S. will travel to Russia, where they will be underdogs as the Russians are expected to lay down an indoor claycourt, historically the American's worst surface.

Argentina d. Croatia 3-2

Ivan Ljubicic did his part to extend the tie to a fifth and deciding singles Sunday, but without the injured Mario Ancic, the defending champion Croatians fell 3-2 to Argentina.

In the first singles Sunday the player/captain Ljubicic rolled past world No. 3 David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, but without Ancic the Croatians had no choice in the second singles but to go with No. 159-ranked Sasa Tuksar, who lost to Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6), 7-6(5).

"I am not disappointed, maybe a little sad," Ljubicic told reporters. "Tuksar played a great match and deserved at least the fifth set. He lost in four, and could have won the second, third and fourth. Without Mario, this was not a tie that we were supposed to win, but life goes on. This is a very good and very young team, and we can come back."

It was the first live rubber for Tuksar, and the first time that Croatia lost a home Davis Cup tie since 1999.

In the fourth set Chela started cramping, with Tuksar missing a golden opportunity to stretch the decider to a fifth set.

"First it was the right leg, then the left," Chela told reporters. "I was lucky to win the fourth set and finish the match there."

Argentina will now host Australia in the semifinals on its favored red clay for its first home semifinal in five years.

Australia d. Belarus 5-0

After the tie was already decided on Saturday, on Sunday the Aussies make it a sweep in the dead-rubber singles with Wayne Arthurs beating Serguei Tarasevitch 7-6(6), 6-2, and Chris Guccione rolling past Alexandr Zotov 6-1, 6-3.

The Aussie's reward for reaching the semifinals is an away match at Argentina, where they will be the heavy underdogs on the slow red clay, and Lleyton Hewitt has already announced the possibility of bailing on the Aussie squad.