Spain, without injured Top 10 players Rafael Nadal or Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco, topped Israel 3-0. In the Saturday doubles, Feliciano “F-Lo” Lopez and Tommy Robredo beat Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 7-6(6), 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2.

“It feels great to be in the semis but not satisfied because we’d like more,” Stepanek said. “We prepared as much as we could and we are looking forward to the tie. Playing Karlovic is always strange and tricky, you get no rhythm. You have few chances and you have to try and take them once they come because there are not many. There will not be much rallies so it’s important to focus all the time.”

Israel had clinched by Saturday after Harel Levy defeated Igor Andreev and Dudi Sela decimated Mikhail Youzhny in the singles, and the standout doubles tandem of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram edged Igor Kunitsyn and former No. 1 Marat Safin in five in Safin’s final Davis Cup appearance.

Israel clinched the tie in the Saturday doubles when Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram stopped a comeback from former No. 1 Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4.

Can “Dr.” Ivo rain down the aces on clay? The nod goes to Croatia as Blake is 0-4 in live ties on clay and Fish has only one win in the same situation. Marin Cilic should dictate this tie, but the Bryan brothers will do their best to keep it a live tie by Sunday.

Blake is 1-4 on clay in live-rubber Davis Cup singles matches during his career.

“In my opinion there is no danger that the tournament will be pulled,” McLoughlin says.

Watch the Tennis Channel with your laptop handy, and your browser pointed at Tennis-X.com as the U.S. Davis Cup team hosts Switzerland in Birmingham, Ala.
The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday matches will be live, and Tennis-X will have one of its blog personalities blog-inating live from inside the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena amidst the 16,000 sell-out [...]

Who’s Got the Funk…
1. Novak DJOKOVIC
Cleans up the cash and ranking points in Dubai after all the stars drop out.
ADHEREL
2. Mardy FISH
Overcomes final yips to beat Russian qualifier Evgeny “Anna Kournikova is my cousin — no joke — so hope I can someday win a title” Korolev in the ATP Delray Beach final.
3. [...]

The second week of the interesting “Mexico Swing” on the new WTA Tour calendar, which is down time for most all of the top players who have taken the two weeks off to prepare for tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.