LONDON, Sept 26: Spain set up a Davis Cup final against the United States after Rafael Nadal used his youthful exuberance to charge past France's Arnaud Clement on Sunday.

The teenager, drafted in to replace a below par Carlos Moya, skipped, jumped and punched the air after taking all the big points in a 6-4 6-1 6-2 victory, giving Spain an unbeatable 3-1 lead and a place in the final for the third time in five years.

The US champions a record 31 times, beat Belarus in the other semifinal in Charleston to reach their first final since 1997. Spain's Tommy Robredo beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-4 to give his country a 4-1 win in Alicante and complete an excellent comeback after Moya's shock opening day defeat by Mathieu.

While Spain and the U.S. look ahead to landing the biggest prize in men's team tennis, the champions from the last two years, Australia and Russia, preserved their World Group status by comprehensively winning their playoff ties.

They will be joined in the 16-team competition by Croatia, Chile, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Austria. Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez guided Chile back into the World Group for the first time in 20 years when they beat unheralded Japanese pair Takao Suzuki and Thomas Shimada in the doubles.

Canada and Morocco were both relegated to the second tier after suffering 4-1 defeats by Romania and Australia. Former winners Germany and Britain failed in their bids to get promoted. Both countries went into the deciding ties deadlocked at 2-2 but were easily outclassed in the final rubbers.

Slovakia's Karol Kucera hammered Florian Mayer 6-4 6-0 6-2 in Bratislava while Stefan Koubek ran out a 7-6 6-4 7-5 win over a tired Greg Rusedski in their rain-interrupted tie in Port schach. -Reuters