Holders Spain marched on towards a fourth Davis Cup triumph in five years when David Ferrer overcame the big-serving John Isner to help beat the United States 3-1 and set up an away clash with the Czech Republic.
World number five Ferrer had to fight from a set down on the clay in the northern Spanish coastal city of Gijon, coming through 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against the 10th-ranked Isner in exactly three hours for his 16th victory in 16 singles rubbers on clay.
Favourites Spain will seek a sixth Davis Cup triumph since their first in 2000 and will hope for a repeat of their last meeting in the final against the Czechs when the pair meet in November.
Spain thrashed the Czechs 5-0 in the 2009 title match, their most recent meeting. Competition rules dictate that because it was in Spain the next must be in Czech Republic.
World number six Tomas Berdych gave the Czechs an unassailable 3-1 lead in Buenos Aires on Sunday when he beat Argentine replacement Carlos Berlocq in the first reverse singles following the withdrawal through injury of eighth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro.
Berdych and his team-mates will likely choose hard courts for the Nov 16-18 final as Spain are extremely tough to beat on their favoured clay and Spanish captain Alex Corretja said his players would just have to adapt.
Top-ranked US pair Bob and Mike Bryan had kept their team’s hopes of upsetting the Spanish alive when they fought off a brave challenge from Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez to win their doubles on Saturday.
Ferrer and Almagro beat Querrey and Isner respectively in Friday’s singles.
Spain’s latest victory extended their unbeaten run at home to 24 ties dating back to 1999 when they lost 3-2 to Brazil in Lerida.
Results: At Gijon: Spain bt US 3-1 (On Sunday: David Ferrer bt John Isner 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2) (Teams decided not to play the fifth match which would have been a dead rubber).
At Buenos Aires: Argentina trail Czech Republic 1-3 (On Sunday: Carlos Berlocq lt to Tomas Berdych 3-6, 3-6, 4-6).
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