Argentina enter semis

Every member of the team contributed a point but it was Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank that clinched the vital third point by overcoming Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in the doubles rubber at Buenos Aires.

The Argentine team broke decisively to lead 6-5 in the third set, and Schwank held his nerve despite facing a break point on his service game. He sealed the win on his fourth match point.

Juan Martin del Potro and Juan Monaco both registered clinical wins on the opening day, overcoming Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 and Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 respectively on Thursday.

“I know I did not get on the team the nicest of ways,” said a happy Schwank, who was summoned to replace the injured David Nalbandian. “But once I got to play I'm happy I could give Argentina the decisive point.”

Nalbandian, at Parque Roca to support his team -mates, said: “The feeling is different from when I play, but I have faith in all the Argentine players.”

Defending champions Serbia are one win away from a semifinal place after a perfect start to their tie against Sweden at Halmstad.

Janko Tipsarevic, who was a substitute for World No 1 Novak Djokovic who withdrew with a knee injury, played just nine games against Davis Cup debutant Ervin Eleskovic before the Swede retired with a knee injury. Tipsarevic was leading 6-2, 1-0 after 44 minutes when the rubber came to an abrupt end.

Earlier in the day, Troicki was taken to four sets in a gripping opening singles rubber against Michael Ryderstedt, who takes over the role of Sweden’s No 1 player this weekend in the absence of Robin Soderling. There are 281 places separating the two players, but it only showed in the opening two sets.

Buoyed by a vocal away contingent of Serbian fans, Troicki raced into a two-set lead but thereafter was made to work hard for a 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5 victory in just under three hours.

Richard Gasquet scripted an incredible comeback from two sets down while Gael Monfils sailed through in straight sets as France took a solid 2-0 lead against hosts Germany in the third quarterfinal at Stuttgart.

Gasquet posted only the second come-from-two-sets-down win of his career when he beat Florian Mayer 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 to give France a 1-0 lead. Monfils then saw off Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.

World Group results (all quarterfinals): At Halmstad: Sweden trail Serbia 0-2 (Ervin Eleskovic lt to Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 0-1 (retd); Michael Ruderstedt lt to Viktor Troicki 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 5-7).
At Buenos Aires: Argentina lead Kazakhstan 3-0 (Juan Ignacio Chela/ Eduardo Schwank bt Evgeny Korolev/ Yuri Schukin 6-3, 6-2, 7-5). (On Thursday): Juan Martin Del Potro bt Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; Juan Monaco bt Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.
At Stuttgart: Germany trail France 0-2 (Florian Mayer lt to Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 3-6; Philipp Kohlschreiber lt to Gael Monfils 6-7, 6-7, 4-6).