World Group
CAN 3 ESP 2 - Spain was in deep trouble when Almagro pulled out and then Ramos only got 5 games off a player ranked nearly 100 places below him (Dancevic). Granollers/M.Lopez did come through for Spain in the doubles, but that only set up Raonic to clinch the tie. Spain will compete in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
ITA 3 CRO 2 - This was a back and forth tie that began with Cilic taken to 5 sets by Lorenzi. The Italians prevailed in the doubles but then Cilic staved off defeat by beating Seppi. But then Fabio Fognini defeated Ivan Dodig in a live 5th rubber to send the Italians to the quarterfinals.
SRB 3 BEL 2 - The Serbs swept the Belgians before the home side won a pair of dead rubbers on Sunday. Goffin had a massive choke against Troicki, serving for a straight sets match win, and then it was all Serbia.
USA 3 BRA 2 - This was nearly the all-time choke by a Davis Cup team. Isner and Querrey won comfortably on day 1 but then the Bryans lost (SHOCK) to Melo/Soares and Isner was beaten by Bellucci (both matches in 5 sets). However, Sam Querrey defeated Thiago Alves in the live 5th rubber as the Americans survived.
FRA 5 ISR 0 - This was never close as each member of the French squad won a live rubber.
ARG 5 GER 0 - Bad luck for Germany as Kohlschreiber had to retire with a hamstring injury in the 5th set of his match with Berlocq. Monaco beat Mayer and then Germans were punchless in the doubles without Kohlschreiber against Nalbandian/Zeballos as each Argentine won a live point.
KAZ 3 AUT 1 - Melzer came up empty in Kazakhstan as the home side went up 2-0 on day 1. Knowle/Peya kept the Austrians in it with a win in doubles but Golubev beat Melzer to send the Kazakhs to their second quarterfinal in three years.
CZE 3 SUI 2 - Where does begin? Berdych was the only player in the world group to win 3 live rubbers and he improves to an unbelievable 17-1 in the doubles, but certainly not without a struggle. Berdych and Wawrinka each won their singles on day 1 but then: Berdych/Rosol def. Chiudinelli/Wawrinka 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-7 24-22 in 7:02 - the 2nd longest match of all time. The Swiss saved 12 match points in the final set before Chiudinelli double faulted on match point #13. Somehow, Berdych and Wawrinka managed to pull themselves out on court and the Czech prevailed in 4 sets to send the defending champions through to the quarters.
Quarterfinal ties: Italy at Canada, Serbia at United States, France at Argentina, Czech Republic at Kazakhstan
Europe/Africa Zonal Group I
POL 3 SLO 2 - The Bryans weren't the only star doubles team shocked. Janowicz and Kubot won singles matches on day 1 but then Fyrstenberg/Matkowski lost to Kavcic/Zemlja as the Slovenes stayed alive. But Janowicz took care of Zemlja in straight sets to advance the Poles.
ROU 5 DEN 0 - Every Romanian player won a live rubber as this tie wasn't close.
UKR 3 SVK 2 - After the teams split singles matches on day 1, Slovakia went in ahead with a win in doubles. But that only set the stage for a comeback on Sunday when Dolgopolov beat Lacko to set up Illya Marchenko (#150) for a win over Andrej Martin in a live 5th rubber.
Promotion ties: Russia at Great Britain, South Africa at Poland, Netherlands and Romania, Sweden at Ukraine
Americas Zonal Group I
URU 3 DOM 1 - Estrella didn't show up for the Dominicans and Marcel Felder won 3 live rubbers for the home side.
Promotion ties: Chile at Ecuador, Uruguay at Colombia
Asia/Pacific Zonal Group I
AUS 5 TPE 0 - This tie not expected to be close and it wasn't.
UZB 4 CHN 1 - This was a sweep but not a blowout. Istomin and Dustov both survived 5 set matches in singles against Wu and Zhang before they won a straight sets doubles match.
KOR 4 IND 1 - India's internal strife comes back to really hurt. They won only doubles (surprise!) while winning only 22 games in 3 live singles rubbers.
JPN 5 INA 0 - Soeda nearly triple bageled Nugroho (6-0 6-0 6-1) on day 1 then the Indonesians pushed the Japanese to 5 sets in doubles but it was still a sweep.
Promotion ties: Australia at Uzbekistan, South Korea at Japan
Relegation playoff ties: Taiwan at China, Indonesia at India
Europe Zonal Group II
FIN 3 BUL 2 - No Nieminen, no problem for Finland despite going against Dimitrov and Bulgaria. Kontinen got a win over Lazov on day 1, a player ranked 400 places above him then the Finns won the doubles over Dimitrov/Kuzmanov to go up 2-1. Dimitrov kept Bulgaria alive but then Harri Heliovaara (#562) defeated Alexander Lazov in the live 5th rubber. This is kind of performance by a supporting cast that makes players like Dimitrov to abandon Davis Cup.
IRL 3 EST 2 - Without Niland and Zopp, this tie falls to lower ranked players. The teams split singles on day 1 then the Irish won the doubles. Ivanov won his second singles match to keep Estonia in it but then Sam Barry (#604) defeated Marek Marksoo in the live 5th rubber to advance Ireland.
LAT 3 TUN 0 - This tie busted when Jaziri never showed up for Tunisia. Gulbis and Juska swept through the home Tunisians.
MON 3 BLR 1 - A man you may see in the Monte Carlo, Balleret, won 3 live rubbers for Monaco, which included a win over Mirnyi in doubles.
MDA 3 HUN 2 - Moldova went up 2-0 after day 1 but Hungary fought back in doubles and then with a 200-place upset of Fucsovics over Albot. But the Moldovans were rescued when Maxim Dubarenco (#525) defeated Viktor Filipenko in the live 5th rubber.
BIH 4 LUX 1 - Without Muller, Luxembourg unable to do much as they were swept by Bosnia, playing without Delic.
LTU 4 CYP 1 - The Cypriots actually put up a decent fight without Baghdatis, winning the doubles. But Berankis was too strong, dropping just 11 games.
POR 5 BEN 0 - The high point of the tie for Benin came in the 2nd rubber when Klegou won the first set against P.Sousa. The Beninese can take pride in reaching this point and they will have hope against Cyprus next (if Baghdatis doesn't show).
Promotion semifinals: Finland at Ireland, Latvia at Monaco, Moldova at Bosnia & Herzegovina, Lithuania at Portugal
Relegation ties: Estonia at Bulgaria, Belarus at Tunisia, Luxembourg at Hungary, Benin at Cyprus
Americas Zonal Group II
MEX 4 PUR 1 - Garza won 3 live rubbers for Mexico.
ESA 4 BAR 1 - The Arevalo brothers combined to sweep the Cinderella team Barbados.
VEN 4 GUA 1
PER 5 HAI 0
(Home teams won every tie here.)
Promotion semifinals: Mexico at El Salvador, Venezuela at Peru
Relegation ties: Puerto Rico at Barbados, Haiti at Guatemala
Americas Zonal Group II
NZL 5 LIB 0 - The Lebanese won 9 games in live rubbers and 10 in all 5 rubbers.
PAK 3 SRI 2 - Godamanna won 2 singles matches including a win over Qureshi for Sri Lanka, but lost in the doubles. That meant tour doubles specialist but Pakistani Davis Cup stub Aisam Qureshi would play Dineshkanthan Thangrajah in the live 5th rubber, and he came through on the road to advance Pakistan.
THA 4 KUW 1 - The countries split 5-setters on day 1 and Udomchoke clinched for Thailand.
PHI 3 SYR 2 - A sweep before the Syrians won the dead rubbers.
Promotion semifinals: New Zealand at Pakistan, Thailand at Philippines
Relegation ties: Sri Lanka at Lebanon, Kuwait at Syria
And that is that. Davis Cup provides a venue for low ranked players to become national heroes. There were 7 live 5th rubbers overall, won by Fognini, Querrey, Marchenko, Heliovaara, Barry, Dubarenco, and Qureshi.
Now Fed Cup will be played this coming weekend and I'll preview that in a couple days. The WTA was in action last week, and hopefully I'll report on Paris and Pattaya tomorrow.
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