Spain through to final

 
Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer had opened a 2-0 lead for the home side with crushing victories in Friday's singles before Robredo and Lopez gave Spain an unassailable 3-0 advantage in the best-of-five tie on the clay in Murcia. Spain, winners in 2000, 2004 and 2008, will play Czech Republic at home in December's final after making light of the absence of injured world number two Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco.

Czechs Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, who both won in Friday's singles in Porec, paired up on Saturday to beat Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko and send the visitors through against Croatia.

“The Czechs are very dangerous and have beaten some very good teams already this year," Spain captain Albert Costa said at a news conference.  "Stepanek and Berdych have both been in the top ten and can adapt easily to any surface."

Israel had stunned 2006 champions Russia to progress to the last four for the first time and were relying on Erlich and Ram, 2008 Australian Open doubles winners, to keep alive their hopes of an unlikely victory.  But Spain had won their previous 16 home ties and the last 18 on their favoured clay.