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TOULOUSE (France), April 6: Switzerland knocked France out of the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Sunday when Roger Federer destroyed Fabrice Santoro 6-1 6-0 6-2 in the first of the final day’s reverse singles matches.
With Switzerland leading 2-1, the tie turned into a nightmare for the 2001 champions and last year’s runners-up when their first choice singles player Sebastien Grosjean was ruled out a few minutes before facing Federer because of a leg injury.
Grosjean was replaced by Fabrice Santoro who is ranked 51st in the world and was no match for Federer who had won his last eight Davis Cup singles as well as 23 sets in succession in the competition.
The Swiss dictated play throughout the game, winning 90 percent of the points on his first serve.
He clinched the first set 6-1 in 19 minutes, the second to love and the third and the match 6-2 after one hour and 29 minutes on court.
Federer beat Nicolas Escude 6-4 7-5 6-2 on Friday and played a leading role in Switzerland’s 6-4 3-6 6-3 7-6 doubles victory on Saturday.
As often in Davis Cup games, the doubles was the critical point of the tie.
Both captains sprang surprises. Forget picked Nicolas Escude rather than Michael Llodra, Santoro’s regular doubles partner, and Marc Rosset decided to turn the role of “non-playing captain” into an active one and to partner Federer.
France’s only point came from Grosjean who defeated Georges Bastl 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 on Friday.
Switzerland will face Australia in the semi-finals in September.
VALENCIA (Spain): Spain completed a 5-0 whitewash of Croatia in their Davis Cup world group quarter-final on Sunday with straightforward reverse singles wins from Albert Costa and Alex Corretja.
The hosts had already made certain of a semi-final place by winning both Friday’s singles and the doubles on Saturday and Costa made it 4-0 by racing to a 6-3 6-4 victory over Ivan Ljubicic.
Corretja then completed an overwhelming victory on the red clay of the Valencia Tennis Club with a 7-5 6-3 success against Mario Ancic.
Spain now meet Argentina, victors over defending champions Russia in Buenos Aires, at home in the semi-finals.
Costa, the reigning French Open champion, found himself surplus to requirements on the opening day, as Ferrero and Moya earned Spain a 2-0 lead with victories over Ancic and Ljubicic. Costa and Corretja combined to take the crucial third point in the doubles on Saturday, though, and the two Catalan friends were back in action on Sunday.
Ljubicic was no match for the eager Costa, who raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set.
Costa built on that early break to take the set and he broke again at the start of the second as Ljubicic missed a simple backhand.
Ljubicic, who smashed his racket in disgust at losing that game, forced a break-point in the next but failed to convert and Costa went on to complete an easy win.
Corretja faced a tougher challenge from the promising Ancic, who carved out a 5-2 lead in the opening set.
The Croatian teenager was unable to close out, however, and Corretja reeled off seven games to take the first set and move 2-0 up in the second.
Corretja improved that to 5-3 before breaking again with a forehand return winner on the first of two match-points.
MALMO (Sweden): Australia completed a thumping 5-0 victory over Sweden in their quarter-final after Mark Philippoussis won the second reverse singles against Magnus Norman 7-5 5-7 6-3.
Earlier in the day Wayne Arthurs beat debutant Joachim Johansson 6-3 3-6 7-6 in a battle of big servers, the pair rifling a total of 36 aces.
PAKISTAN BLANKED
TOYOTA (Japan): Japan thrashed Pakistan 5-0 after in reverse singles matches in their Asia-Oceania zone Group One play-off tie.
Gouichi Motomura of Japan blanked Pakistan’s Inam Gul 6-0 6-1, while Takao Sizuki outplayed Shahzad Khan 6-2 6-2.
Results (Japanese names first)
Gouichi Motomura beat Inam Gul 6-0 6-1; Takao Suzuki beat Shahzad Khan 6-2 6-2
Saturday’s doubles Thomas Shimada/ Takahiro Terachi beat Aqeel Khan/Khan 6-1 6-1 6-0
Played on Friday:
Singles: Motomura beat Shahzad Samad Khan 6-2 6-3 6-1; Suzuki beat Aqeel Khan 6-1 6-1 6-4—Reuters
