World Group Semi-Finals

Photo by Cesar Manso/AFP/Getty Images
Spain vs France
Rafael Nadal blasted Richard Gasquet, just four days after his US Open loss to Novak Djokovic, 6-3 6-0 6-1. The French captain Guy Forget was banking on the second rubber however, with Gilles Simon facing David Ferrer. The outcome was not what they were hoping for as Ferrer dismantled Simon, 6-1 6-4 6-1. It was a bitter setback for Forget’s team.
“It’s very painful to watch your players suffer against such a good team,” said Forget. “They played alright but to beat Spain in Spain you have to play great.”
Serbia vs Argentina
In what seemed like a foregone conclusion, Novak Djokovic was forced to pull out of this weekend’s World Group semifinals with a back injury. In his place, Viktor Troiki was handed a tough match against Davis Cup veteran David Nalbandian. Nalbandian proved that he is a Davis Cup specialist defeating the Serbian in four sets, 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3. Janko Tipsarevic will have the tough task of trying to defeat Juan Martin Del Potro to even the tie.
World Group Playoffs

AFP PHOTO / Torsten BLACKWOOD
Switzerland vs Australia
Way down under, in Australia, the Swiss are tied with the Aussies 1-1, after Bernard Tomic was able to upset Swiss No. 2 Stanislas Wawrinka. However, Roger Federer was able to even the tie, with a four set defeat of Lleyton Hewitt, avenging his heart-breaking Davis Cup loss eaight years earlier.
‘It was a big victory for me, after a rough last week,’ said Federer, alluding to his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in the US Open, after holding two match points. ‘Definitely one of the biggest wins of my career.’
Scores
SERBIA 0, ARGENTINA 1
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (hard – indoors)
David Nalbandian d Viktor Troicki 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3
Janko Tipsarevic v Juan Martin del Potro
Janko Tipsarevic/Nenad Zimonjic v Juan Ignacio Chela/Juan Monaco
Novak Djokovic v Juan Martin del Potro
Janko Tipsarevic v David Nalbandian
SPAIN 2, FRANCE 0
Venue: Plaza de Toros de los Califas, Cordoba, ESP (clay – outdoors)
Rafael Nadal d Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-0 6-1
David Ferrer d Gilles Simon 6-1 6-4 6-1
Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco v Michael Llodra/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Rafael Nadal v Gilles Simon
David Ferrer v Richard Gasquet
World Group Play-Offs
AUSTRALIA 1, SWITZERLAND 1
Venue: Royal Sydney Golf Club, Sydney, AUS (grass – outdoors)
Bernard Tomic d Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3
Roger Federer d Lleyton Hewitt 5-7 7-6(5) 6-2 6-3
Chris Guccione/Lleyton Hewitt v Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka
Bernard Tomic v Roger Federer
Lleyton Hewitt v Stanislas Wawrinka
ISRAEL 0, CANADA 1
Venue: Canada Stadium, Ramat Hasharon, ISR (hard – outdoors)
Vasek Pospisil d Dudi Sela 7-6(4) 6-7(6) 6-1 6-7(2) 6-3
Amir Weintraub v Milos Raonic
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) v Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Milos Raonic (CAN)
Amir Weintraub (ISR) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
ROMANIA 0, CZECH REPUBLIC 2
Venue: Centrul National De Tenis, Bucharest, ROU (clay – outdoors)
Radek Stepanek d Adrian Ungur 6-3 6-2 6-0
Tomas Berdych d Victor Crivoi 6-3 6-3 7-6(4)
Marius Copil/Horia Tecau v Jan Hajek/Lukas Rosol
Adrian Ungur v Tomas Berdych
Victor Crivoi v Radek Stepanek
RUSSIA 1, BRAZIL 1
Venue: Kazan Tennis Academy, Kazan, RUS (hard – indoors)
Mikhail Youzhny d Ricardo Mello 6-0 6-2 6-1
Thomaz Bellucci d Igor Andreev 6-4 6-3 6-3
Igor Kunitsyn/Dmitry Tursunov v Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares
Mikhail Youzhny v Thomaz Bellucci
Igor Andreev v Ricardo Mello
SOUTH AFRICA 1, CROATIA 1
Venue: Fanie Du Toit Sports Stadium, Potchefstroom, RSA (hard – outdoors)
Kevin Anderson d Ivan Dodig 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6(5)
Marin Cilic d Izak van der Merwe 6-0 6-0 ret. (wrist)
Kevin Anderson/Rik de Voest v Nikola Mektic/Antonio Veic
Kevin Anderson v Marin Cilic
Izak van der Merwe v Ivan Dodig
CHILE v ITALY
Venue: Estadio Nacional, Santiago, CHI (hard – outdoors)
Paul Capdeville v Potito Starace
Fernando Gonzalez v Fabio Fognini
Jorge Aguilar/Nicolas Massu v Simone Bolelli/Daniele Bracciali
Paul Capdeville v Fabio Fognini
Fernando Gonzalez v Potito Starace
JAPAN 2, INDIA 0
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JPN (hard – outdoors)
Yuichi Sugita d Somdev Devvarman 6-3 6-4 7-5
Kei Nishikori d Rohan Bopanna 6-3 6-2 6-2
Kei Nishikori/Go Soeda v Rohan Bopanna/Vishnu Vardhan
Kei Nishikori v Somdev Devvarman
Yuichi Sugita v Rohan Bopanna
BELGIUM 0, AUSTRIA 1
Venue: Lotto Arena, Antwerp, BEL (hard – indoors)
Andreas Haider-Maurer d Xavier Malisse 6-4 6-4 7-5
Steve Darcis v Jurgen Melzer
Ruben Bemelmans/Olivier Rochus v Oliver Marach/Alexander Peya
Xavier Malisse v Jurgen Melzer
Steve Darcis v Andreas Haider-Maurer
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