Holders Spain level with Swiss in Davis Cup

Published>Sat, Mar 06 10 02:03 AM

Spain's David Ferrer dispatched Marco Chiudinelli in straight sets to level the depleted champions' Davis Cup first-round tie against Switzerland at 1-1 in Logrono on Friday.

Seven of the eight World Group matches were under way around Europe, with the start of Chile's tie at home to Israel delayed to Saturday because of the disruption caused by last weekend's deadly earthquake.

Russia carved out a 2-0 advantage over visiting India, victories for Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put France 2-0 up at home to Germany, and last year's finalists Czech Republic opened up a 2-0 lead in Belgium.

The Swiss are bidding to become the first team to beat the Spanish in 19 home ties stretching back to a defeat by Brazil in 1999. Spain also won the title in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Stanislas Wawrinka, leading the Swiss in the absence of world number one Roger Federer, drew first blood at the Plaza de Toros de Ribera bullring when he twice battled back from a set down to beat Nicolas Almagro 3-6 6-4 3-6 7-5 6-3.

Ferrer, ranked 16th in the world, is the only survivor from last year's Cup-winning team, with Rafael Nadal (3), Fernando Verdasco (12) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (14) hit by injuries.

Backed by the noisy, red and yellow-clad home support, he fought off stiff resistance from the powerful, 56th-ranked Chiudinelli in the second set on the clay before completing a 6-2 7-6 6-1 victory.

The three-day, best-of-five tie is finely balanced ahead of Saturday's doubles, when home pair Tommy Robredo and Marcel Granollers play Wawrinka, who won the Olympic doubles gold in Beijing with Federer, and Yves Allegro.

REAL FIGHTER

France's Monfils earned his first Davis Cup point in Toulon when he fought past tenacious German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-1 6-4 7-6 before Tsonga took four sets to beat Benjamin Becker.

"To win that game was a matter of honour because Kohlschreiber is a real fighter," Monfils said.

"It was one of my best matches of the season," he added. "I'm very happy with the way I moved on the court and the way I controlled the match and, of course, very happy to bring the point for France for the first time."

Elsewhere, Sweden's Robin Soderling beat Eduardo Schwank 6-1 7-6 7-5 in the opening singles in Stockholm to put the hosts ahead against Argentina.

Ivo Karlovic came through in five sets to give Croatia the advantage over Ecuador in Varazdin and Serbia moved 1-0 ahead against the United States in Belgrade thanks to Viktor Troicki's hard-fought 7-6 6-7 7-5 6-4 victory over John Isner.

World number two Novak Djokovic is due to play Sam Querrey later on Friday.

After finding out he was playing an hour before the start, Russia's Igor Kunitsyn rallied to defeat Somdev Devvarman 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-4 in the opening singles in Moscow and Mikhail Youzhny followed up with a straight-sets demolition of Rohan Bopanna.

Kunitsyn, drafted in after the injured Igor Andreev pulled out, said: "It was a surprise for me and there is no way you can prepare yourself with just an hour to go before your match."

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