LONDON, Feb 12: Perennial Davis Cup protagonists Australia were upset 3-2 by Belgium while holders Russia clung to their crown in the first round on Sunday.
Belgium beat the Australians for the first time to reach the April quarter-finals along with Russia, 3-2 winners in Chile, the US, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and 2006 runners-up Argentina.
All eight ties were not decided until Sunday's reverse singles after they went into the final day for the first time since the world group was introduced in 1981.
Six nations, however, won with a rubber to spare, taking unassailable 3-1 leads by winning the first reverse singles, leaving only Australia and Russia to go the distance with a different fate for each.
Germany await the Belgians after Kristof Vliegen followed up his surprise five-set win over former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt on Friday.
Hewitt defeated Olivier Rochus 6-2, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 6-1 earlier on Sunday to leave the teams level at 2-2 and send the tie down to the wire. Vliegen then overcame Chris Guccione 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Russia beat Chile in a hot, hostile environment in La Serena when Igor Andreev overcame Nicolas Massu 6-2, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 in the final rubber after Fernando Gonzalez had thrown the home team a lifeline with his three-set win over Marat Safin.
The Russians, who have won the trophy twice since 2002, meet France, who went through when Richard Gasquet beat Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in their tie against Romania at Clermont-Ferrand.
Andy Roddick came from one set down to beat the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 and secure the US a place in the last eight at home against Spain.
The Americans, who have won the cup 31 times but not since 1995, intend to go all the way this year.
Spain overcame Switzerland in similar fashion with Fernando Verdasco winning the first reverse singles 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 against rookie Stephane Bohli in Geneva.
By April, the Spanish should have world number two Rafael Nadal back on the team following his late pullout with a thigh muscle strain shortly before the start of Friday's opening rubber.
Tommy Haas sealed Germany's place when his crushing 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 victory over Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic gave the three-time champions a 3-1 winning lead.
Robin Soderling outlasted Max Mirnyi 6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a four-hour marathon to clinch victory for Sweden against Belarus.
The Swedes, champions seven times, will be at home when they meet last year's runners-up Argentina.
The South Americans went through when debutant teenager Juan Martin Del Potro, standing in for the unwell Jose Acasuso, beat Jurgen Melzer 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to give them an unassailable lead against Austria in Linz.
Complete results:
World Group first round:
Chile 2 Russia 3 (Marat Safin (RUS) bt Nicolas Massu (CHI) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2; Gonzalez/Massu (CHI) bt Andreev/Safin (RUS) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-4; Gonzalez (CHI) bt Safin (RUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; Andreev (RUS) bt Massu (CHI) 6-2, 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4).
France 4 Romania 1 (Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Andrei Pavel (ROM) 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2; Florin Mergea/Horia Tecau (ROM) bt Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 11-9; Gasquet (FRA) bt Pavel (ROM) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Clement (FRA) bt Mergea (ROM) 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
Germany 3 Croatia 2 (Tommy Haas (GER) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3; Michael Kohlmann/Alexander Waske (GER) bt Mario Ancic/Ljubicic (CRO) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); Haas (GER) bt Ljubicic (CRO) 6-2, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4; Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Becker (GER) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
Belgium 3 Australia 2 (Kristof Vliegen (BEL) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Chris Guccione (AUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3; Paul Hanley/Hewitt (AUS) bt Rochus/Vliegen (BEL) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Hewitt (AUS) bt Rochus (BEL) 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 3-6, 6-1; Vliegen (BEL) bt Chris Guccione (AUS) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Czech Republic 1 US 4 (Andy Roddick (US) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt James Blake (US) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5; Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (US) bt Lukas Dlouhy/Pavel Vizner (CZE) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Roddick (US) bt Berdych (CZE) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4); Bob Bryan (US) bt Dlouhy (CZE) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Switzerland 2 Spain 3 (Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2); David Ferrer (ESP) bt Stephane Bohli (SUI) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Yves Allegro/Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 12-10; Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Stephane Bohli (SUI) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) bt David Ferrer (ESP) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.Belarus 2 Sweden 3 (Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Vladimir Voltchkov (BLR) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1; Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Mirnyi/Voltchkov (BLR) bt Simon Aspelin/Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Mirnyi (BLR) 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Voltchkov (BLR) bt Johansson (SWE) 6-4, 7-5.
Austria 1 Argentina 4 (Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, 6-4; Guillermo Canas (ARG) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-4; Julian Knowle/Melzer (AUT) bt Acasuso/Sebastian Prieto (ARG) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 7-5; Juan-Martin Del Potro (ARG) bt Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Canas (ARG) bt Alexander Peya (AUT) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.—Agencies