Defending champion Spain blew a chance to reach the Davis Cup semi-finals when they lost the doubles to Austria on Saturday, while the Czech Republic and Serbia continued to fall out over handshakes. Austrian second-time pair Alexander Peya and Oliver Marach took advantage of a rain delay in Castellon to regather and overcome Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (12) to cut Spain's lead to 2-1. That was the same score in the other quarter-finals after two days.
The Czechs led Serbia in Prague, the United States were on top of France in Roquebrune, and Argentina were edging Croatia in Buenos Aires. Granollers and Lopez suggested they would romp home the way they won the first set. But a half-hour break for rain woke up Peya and Marach, who won Austria's first set of the tie when they levelled the set score. Even after another shower at 3-3 in the fourth, the players maintained a high standard, and the Austrians prevailed. "We didn't want to lose the tie and go home after the second day," Marach said. "After the rain break we played more aggressively and it worked."
Spain should still advance to a semi-finals against the US or France. The Spaniards will expect to win an 18th successive singles in the past year when world No 5 David Ferrer, undefeated on clay in his six-year Davis Cup career, meets Jurgen Melzer in the first reverse singles on Sunday.
The Czechs will also favour themselves, but they have already left the Serbs feeling bitter. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek improved their Davis Cup doubles record to 10-1 in easing past the Serb duo of Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (4), but Bozoljac refused to shake Stepanek's hand afterwards. On Friday, Stepanek was accused of giving the middle finger and swearing at Janko Tipsarevic after the latter won their five-hour five-set singles to level the quarter-final at 1-1.
"I was afraid that he was going to give me the middle finger like he did yesterday to Janko," Bozoljac said. "I was just protecting myself from the middle finger." Stepanek said Bozoljac's decision "shows his weakness." Zimonjic, a three-time Grand Slam doubles winner, said he wasn't surprised by the accusation against Stepanek. "I've been on the tour for quite a while and played many times against Stepanek so he did something that you can expect from him. I think he's the least likable guy on the tour, especially on the court," he said. "I was really shocked."
Stepanek again denied any wrongdoing. "It's not true that I said what he presents," Stepanek said on Saturday. "We shook hands and I don't want to comment any more at the moment because the most important day (of the tie) is ahead of us. We need to get the third point and that's the only thing we focus on." Berdych, the world No 7, will face No 8 Tipsarevic in the first reverse singles, followed by Stepanek against Viktor Troicki.
The winner will face Argentina or Croatia in September's semi-final, which could be in Buenos Aires. David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank beat Croatians Ivo Karlovic and Marin Cilic 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 8-6 in five hours to give Argentina the lead for the first time. Nalbandian, who lost a five-hour singles on Friday, denied he was tired. "I'm OK," he said. But the Argentines will be hoping to save Nalbandian from further stress and count on Juan Martin del Potro clinching the tie in the first reverse singles on Sunday, when he plays Marin Cilic. Del Potro leads their matchup 4-2, including a win last month in Miami.
The US took a predictable lead in their quarter-final with France when top-ranked pair Bob and Mike Bryan, unbeaten in Davis Cup since 2008, swatted away Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) at the Monte Carlo Country Club. That left the Americans with high hopes of winning in France for the first time since the 1982 final. John Isner will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga first up on Sunday, and if the score is tied, then teenager Ryan Harrison faces the injured Gilles Simon. "We're stronger on paper," France captain Guy Forget said. "The Bryans' win was logical, and so will Jo and Simon's (win) be (logical) tomorrow. Otherwise we don't belong in the semi-finals."
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