Davis Cup: Spain advances to quarter-finals
Posted March 5, 2011 4:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLEROI, Belgium — Spain advanced to the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup, defeating Belgium in doubles for an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez beat Steve Darcis and Olivier Rochus 7-6 (0), 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday on the hard-court of the Spiroudome. Spain hasn’t dropped a set in the three matches.
Spain will travel to play the winner of the tie between Chile and the United States. The Americans lead 2-1 after winning the doubles Saturday. The quarter-finals begin July 8.
Spain took an early 2-0 lead Friday with singles wins by top-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 9 Verdasco.
Nadal played his first match since being sidelined with a left thigh injury sustained at the Australian Open. It was clear his leg was no longer bothering him, dominating the 144th-ranked Ruben Bemelmans 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Belgium didn’t help its cause by laying a much slower hardcourt in the Spiroudome than intended. Also, many in the 6,500 crowd were Spanish fans instead of local.
“The crowd was unbelievable,” Nadal said of the fans Friday.
Spain is the top-ranked Davis Cup team and wants to win it to prove it. The Spanish side lost last year in the quarter-finals to France.
Nadal will play next week in the ATP event at Indian Wells, Calif.
