LONDON, July 16: Argentina edged ahead of Australia in their bad-tempered Davis Cup quarterfinal on Saturday thanks to inspired play from former Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian.

The Argentine won his delayed singles match in Sydney against Wayne Arthurs 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-2 to level the tie at 1-1 and then teamed up with Mariano Puerta to overwhelm Lleyton Hewitt and Arthurs.

Two of the other quarterfinals were also poised at 2-1.

Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra gave France the lead against Russia in Moscow with a 7-5 6-4 6-7 6-2 defeat of Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny.

Slovakia, bidding for a first semifinal, also have a slight advantage going into Sunday after Karol Beck and Michal Mertinak teamed up to beat Dutch pair Paul Haarhuis and Melle van Gemerden 5-7 6-3 6-4 7-5.

After a slanging match between Hewitt and Guillermo Coria spiced up Friday’s play, it was Australia’s fans who sparked more controversy on Saturday.

Some 70 of them, all members of the Fanatics club, turned up dressed in bright yellow T-shirts bearing a cartoon showing Argentine players at a needle exchange under the provocative slogan “Where’s Willie?”

The club’s official website said the slogan was a reference to Argentina’s top-ranked player, world number eight Guillermo Canas, who pulled out of the tie because of a doping investigation.

French Open runner-up Puerta returned to the circuit last year after serving a suspension for doping.

On Friday Coria accused Hewitt of swearing at him while the Australian said Coria had made crude gestures.

Nalbandian preferred to let his tennis do the talking.

Leading by two sets to one when rain halted play on Friday, he needed just 28 minutes to secure victory, breaking Arthurs’s serve twice in a one-sided fourth set.

He and Puerta then produced some outstanding doubles to beat Hewitt and Arthurs 7-6 6-4 6-3.

Australian captain John Fitzgerald played down any bad blood between the two teams, although he admitted they face a tough task to turn around the grass court tie.

Hewitt must beat Nalbandian on Sunday to keep the 28-times champions alive before the big-serving Arthurs takes on claycourt hustler Coria.

In the 2002 final France also led 2-1 after Saturday’s doubles, only to lose the tie 3-2 when Youzhny produced an inspirational comeback to beat Paul-Henri Mathieu in the final singles after trailing by two sets.

Quarterfinal results

Croatia lead Romania 2-1

Slovakia lead Netherlands 2-1

France lead 5-Russia 2-1

Argentina lead 4-Australia 2-1.—Agencies