LONDON: Roger Federer moved closer to adding one of the few trophies still missing from his cabinet by putting Switzerland into the Davis Cup semi-finals on Sunday but Britain’s last-four hopes were trampled into Italian clay in Naples.

Roger Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam title winner, and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka won their reverse singles as Switzerland beat Kazakhstan 3-2 in Geneva. In their first semi-final since 2003 they will face Italy who defeated Great Britain 3-2.

France are also in the last four despite looking dead and buried on Friday when they lost the opening two singles matches against a weakened Germany line-up.

Wins for Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Gael Monfils earned France a 3-2 victory in Nancy to set up a semi-final against holders Czech Republic who breezed past Japan in Tokyo 5-0.

When you need a player to win a decisive fifth rubber in a gripping Davis Cup tie, having one with 17 Grand Slam titles to his name would be a dream scenario for any team captain.

So it proved for Switzerland’s Severin Luthi in Geneva’s Palexpo on Sunday as Federer strolled out to face world No.64 Andrey Golubev after Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka had hauled the Swiss level at 2-2 with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin.

And world number four Federer, who had never played a decisive Davis Cup rubber, cruised past Andrey Golubev 7-6 (7-6), 6-2, 6-3 for the winning point.

Britain began on Sunday with a 2-1 lead against Italy, needing just one of Sunday’s two singles to reach the last four for the first time since 1981.

But world number 13 Fabio Fognini stunned Wimbledon champion Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 with Andreas Seppi securing the decisive point with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over James Ward.

The Italians, who last appeared in the semi-finals in 1998, will now travel to Switzerland in the September 12-14 showdown.

France had entered its quarter-final against injury-hit Germany as a big favourite but had to erase a 2-0 deficit from the opening day to advance.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga cruised past Tobias Kamke 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to help France even the tie before Gael Monfils secured the winning point by defeating Peter Gojowczyk 6-1, 7-6 (7-0), 6-2.

In Tokyo, Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely showed no mercy in winning Sunday’s dead singles rubbers against Japan. Rosol beat Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 before left-hander Vesely swept past Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-4.—Agencies