September 26, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 2, 1427

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BUENOS AIRES, Sept 25: Argentina completed a 5-0 whitewash in their Davis Cup semi-final against Australia on Sunday (partially reported in Monday’s edition).

Argentina, who wrapped up the tie on Saturday when they took a decisive 3-0 lead and will meet Russia in Moscow in the final in December, won the first of Sunday's reverse singles when Agustin Calleri thumped doubles specialist Paul Hanley 6-0, 6-3.

The hosts were awarded a walkover in the final rubber when Australia said that none of their eligible players were fit to play.

Tennis Australia said Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis were ruled out due to knee and back injuries respectively while Wayne Arthurs picked up an Achilles problem during Saturday's doubles.

The Russians will host the Dec 1-3 final against an Argentine side who beat Australia inside two days to reach their second final and first since 1981.

Russian substitute Dmitry Tursunov, replacing Mikhail Youzhny, beat Andy Roddick 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 in an epic fourth rubber for an unassailable 3-1 lead after the Americans'

doubles victory on Saturday had kept their hopes alive.

Singles victories by Marat Safin over Roddick and Youzhny against James Blake on Friday had put the Russians in command.

Blake's 7-5, 7-6 win over Safin in Sunday's final dead rubber

made the score 3-2 to Russia.

Russia hosted Argentina in a 2002 semi-final and won 3-2 on the way to winning the trophy for the first time. The last time the two countries met, in a 2003 quarter-final in Buenos Aires, the Argentines won 5-0.

Argentina, inspired by world number four David Nalbandian, were dominant against the Australians on their favourite clay surface at the Parque Roca.

Nalbandian beat Mark Philippoussis in three sets in the opening rubber on Saturday and Jose Acasuso completed a rain-interrupted, five-set victory over Lleyton Hewitt on Sunday morning before Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri crushed Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley in straights sets in Saturday's doubles.

Calleri steeped in for a best-of-three-sets first reserve singles on Sunday against Hanley and won 6-0 6-3. Arthurs gave Juan Ignacio Chela a walkover to hand Argentina a 5-0 win.

World number two Rafael Nadal secured Spain's place in the world group for 2007 by beating Italian number one Filippo Volandri 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 with a typically combative display in the first reverse singles.

Nadal's win gave 2004 champions Spain an unassailable lead and David Ferrer beat Andreas Seppi 6-2 6-2 in the final rubber reduced to the best of three sets, to complete a 4-1 playoff victory.

World number one Roger Federer maintained Switzerland's place in the world group with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 win over Serbian teenager Novak Djokovic.

After winning Friday's opening singles against Janko Tipsarevic and taking a second point in the doubles with partner Yves Allegro on Saturday, Federer made it three out of three on Sunday to give the Swiss a decisive 3-1 lead.—Reuters