US to meet Nadal-led Spain in Davis Cup

Andy Roddick showed why he’s the go-to guy to close out a Davis Cup series, leading the United States to a 3-1 win over Chile to set up a meeting with the Rafael Nadal-led Spaniards in the quarter-finals.

Roddick defeated Paul Capdeville 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 6-3 to improve to 12-0 in matches that can clinch a Davis Cup matchup for the US John Isner finished with a 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 7-5 win over Guillermo Rivera-Aranguiz in the meaningless second reverse singles.

The Americans will play at home from July 8-10 against Nadal and Spain, 4-1 winners over Belgium this weekend.

“A guy named Rafa coming to town will provide a little bit of energy,” Roddick said.

“It’s as good a second round as I’ve ever seen. Any place will be good, as I’m just happy it will be on US soil.

“I wanted to make a boxing match out there (against Capdeville) ... I wanted to take his legs out first and foremost.”

In the other first-round World Group series on Sunday, defending champion Serbia handled India 4-1, Argentina closed out a 4-1 victory over Romania and Russia salvaged two matches in a 3-2 defeat to Sweden.

Elsewhere, Germany beat Croatia 3-2 when Philipp Petzschner outlasted Ivo Karlovic 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5), while France ousted Austria 3-2, and Andrey Golubev and Mikhail Kukushkin lifted Kazakhstan to a 3-2 upset of the Czech Republic.

The victory was the first for new US Davis Cup captain Jim Courier, who played on the 1992 and 1995 winning Davis Cup squads.

“I like the way all of our guys responded to adversity out there,” he said.

Nadal beat Olivier Rochus 6-4 6-2 on Sunday to turn Spain’s domination over Belgium into a 4-1 win

After Nadal’s second victory of the weekend, Steve Darcis won Belgium’s only point, beating Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-6) 7-6 (7-3).

At home in Novi Sad, Serbia went past a stubborn India team to set up a meeting with Sweden.

Playing without Novak Djokovic, Serbia won both reverse singles on Sunday, Viktor Troicki defeating Somdev Devvarman 6-4 6-2 7-5 and then Janko Tipsarevc defeated Karan Rastogi 6-0 6-1.

Troicki, the star of Serbia’s victory over France in the 2010 final, said the Sunday singles match was “psychologically tough for me because if we had gone to a fifth match in the series, who knows what would have happened.”



“The Indian team played real well, and the result doesn’t show what was happening on the court over these three days.”

Djokovic decided to skip the series to prepare for tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, citing fatigue after winning the Australia Open and Dubai titles in recent weeks.

In Schwechat in Austria, Jeremy Chardy rallied to beat Martin Fischer 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-3 for France to beat the hosts.

The 2010 finalist and nine-time champion will play Germany, which defeated Croatia 3-2.

“I was very nervous,” said Chardy, referring to a string of unforced errors in the first two sets.

“But (captain) Guy (Forget) just told me to take my time and breathe, and I started to play better.”

Chardy prevented France from a first loss in a Davis Cup series after being 2-0 up.