By Martyn Herman
LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Spain, Sweden and Argentina
reached the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup after sealing World
Group first round victories with a minimum of fuss on Saturday.
Holders Serbia edged 2-1 in front of India, although as was
the case in Friday's singles, their unfancied opponents put up
fierce resistance in Novi Sad.
Favourites Spain, seeking to regain the title they have made
a habit of winning over the past 11 years, took a 3-0 lead
against Belgium in Charleroi as Feliciano Lopez and Fernando
Verdasco beat Olivier Rochus and Steve Darcis 7-6 6-4 6-3.
Belgium have yet to win a set in the tie with Sunday's two
"dead" rubbers to come -- one of which world number one Rafa
Nadal will treat as a glorified practice against Xavier Malisse.
Nadal made a winning return on Friday after more than a
month out injured when he cruised past Ruben Bemelmans to give
his side a 2-0 lead that Belgium were ill-equipped to overhaul.
Lopez is already casting his mind ahead to a quarter-final
against the United States, after Bob and Mike Bryan gave Jim
Courier's side a 2-1 lead against Chile in Santiago.
"The match against the United States will be extremely
tough," he told reporters. "They are one of the toughest teams
we could get playing away, with Andy Roddick and John Isner and
the world's best doubles team."
Sweden took an unassailable lead against a below-strength
Russia with Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt beating Igor
Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursunov while in Buenos Aires, Argentina
also established a 3-0 lead.
ALIVE TIES
The other five first round ties are all still alive going
into Sunday's reverse singles with the U.S., Germany, France,
Czech Republic and Serbia one point away from progressing to the
last eight.
Serbia probably expected to be home and dry against India
even without world number three Novak Djokovic who skipped the
tie to prepare early for next week's Indian Wells tournament.
However, Janko Tipsarevic's defeat by Somdev Devvarman on
Friday threw a spanner in the works, meaning Saturday's doubles
featuring Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic against Devvarman
and Rohan Bopanna took on huge significance.
Once again the Indians were in no mood to be bullied in the
6,000-capacity SPENS Sports Centre in the town that produced
former women's world number one Monica Seles.
The Indian duo took the first set but Bozoljac and Zimonjic
responded to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 and give Serbia a 2-1 lead.
It was edge-of-the-seat stuff in a 12-10 tiebreak where
India were within a point of forcing a fifth set.
"We were in a tight spot after dropping the first set and
had to raise our game considerably to win the match," said
Zimonjic.
"We were a bit lucky to save that set point when we hit some
impossible shots and we are glad we are ahead in the tie."
Viktor Troicki, who sealed Serbia's epic triumph against
France in December's final in Belgrade, faces Devvarman in
Sunday's first reverse singles.
The winners face an away tie in Sweden.
France were stalled by Austria inside a hangar at Vienna's
international airport -- Juergen Melzer and Oliver Marach
keeping the tie alive for the hosts with victory over Julien
Benneteau and Michael Llodra.
(Editing by Dave Thompson and Tom Pilcher. To query or
comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
