Israel sweep to semis, U.S. hang on in Davis Cup

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich  leapt into each others arms after they guided Israel into the  Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time yesterday.

Israel was the only team to seal a place in the last four  following the doubles, while the three other World Group ties  hung in the balance after day two of the men’s team competition.

Ram and Erlich hung on for almost four hours to beat twice  former champions Russia following a thrilling 6-3 6-4 6-7 4-6  6-4 win over Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn in Tel Aviv.

In a year when Israeli tennis players have been barred from  playing in countries such as Dubai and forced to play Davis Cup  ties behind closed doors, as they were in Sweden, Eyal Ran’s men  became the toast of the nation on Saturday.

“We are on the map again. You have made our people proud,”  Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Bob and Mike Bryan kept the United States in the hunt for a  semi-final place with a 6-3 6-1 6-3 win over Croatian pair Roko  Karanusic and Lovro Zovko in Porec.

The Bryan brothers had to win the doubles to take the tie  into a third day after the U.S. came off second best in Friday’s  epic singles matches, which both went to five sets. “It’s going to be a hard fought contest tomorrow… (to  come) back from losing 2-0,” Mike Bryan told reporters.

The Czech Republic grabbed a 2-1 lead over 2008 runners-up  Argentina in Ostrava while champions Spain, who are having to  make do without injured world number two Rafael Nadal, also  nosed 2-1 ahead of Germany in Marbella.

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Israel’s doubles win gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead and  sparked jubilant celebrations among the 11,000 fans crammed into  the Sports Palace arena to witness the momentous occasion.

While Ram and Erlich went into a celebratory huddle with the  rest of the Israeli camp at the end, Safin was left to reflect  on his last Davis Cup tie because the former world number one  will be retiring at the end of the year.

“Everybody has dreams but there are some you don’t allow  yourself to have and beating Russia 3-0 was just like that…  but we have done it,” a beaming Erlich said.

Ram added in a courtside interview: “For the first time I  have absolutely nothing to say… I started to cry like a little  boy.”
No tears were shed in Marbella but Fernando Verdasco said he  was “super happy” after he and fellow left-hander Feliciano  Lopez handed Spain the psychological edge with a 6-3 7-6 6-7 6-3  win over Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev.

Despite the absence of Nadal, Spain will be confident of  winning one of today’s two reverse singles to secure a  semi-final date with Israel.
The Americans, champions a record 32 times, will be aiming  to have plenty to say today by winning both reverse singles  against hosts Croatia.
Without the services of world number six Andy Roddick, the  Americans will rely on James Blake and Mardy Fish to steer their  fortunes, with the winners meeting the Czechs or Argentina.

Tomas Berdych was drafted in at the last minute to partner  Radek Stepanek and Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil’s gamble paid  off as his men beat Argentine hot-heads Jose Acasuso and  Leonardo Mayer 6-1 6-4 6-3.

The Argentines repeatedly argued with the umpire over line  calls and Mayer also turned his racket into a mangled wreck but  their emotional outbursts failed to have any effect on their  opponents, who kept their focus to win in just under two hours.