Switzerland, France and Germany all advanced to the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals on Saturday as Spain and Serbia crashed out of the 114-year-old competition.
France took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Australia, with Germany seeing off Spain, minus world No.1 Rafael Nadal, and Switzerland beat 2010 winners and last year’s finalists Serbia by the same scoreline.
But the Czech Republic will have to wait until Sunday to keep their quest for a third consecutive title on track as they lead the Netherlands 2-1 at Ostrava.
On clay in Mouilleron-le-Captif, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga clinched the vital rubber for France with a 5-7 7-6 6-2 7-5 success over Chris Guccione and Lleyton Hewitt.
“We played a super doubles match,” said Tsonga. “It wasn’t unusual because we played all the junior competitions together.”
France were sitting pretty overnight after Gasquet beat Aussie teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-6 6-2 6-2, before Tsonga ousted Hewitt 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7/2).
France’s reward was a last eight clash with Germany, who took an unbeatable 3-0 lead over five-time former champions Spain in Frankfurt earlier Saturday.
That quarter-final is scheduled for April 4-6.
Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber needed nearly three-and-a-half hours to seal a 7-6 6-7 7-6 6-3 over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco and David Marrero.
Kohlschreiber and Florian Mayer had given the hosts a 2-0 overnight lead.
Switzerland’s all important point was delivered by the pairing of Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lanmer, who saw off Nenad Zimonjic and Filip Krajinovic 6-6 3-6 6-6 6-2.
The Swiss took control of the tie in Novi Sad on Friday when Roger Federer, yet to add the Davis Cup trophy to his array of silverware, and freshly crowned Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, won both of their singles.
Federer won through 6-4 7-5 6-2 against 268th-ranked Ilija Bozoljac on the hard court surface in Novi Sad.
Serbia were weakened by the absence of star turns Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic.
Wawrinka then stepped up to battle past 102nd ranked Dusan Lajovic 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-6.
The Swiss will meet either Kazakhstan or Belgium who are playing in Astana with the hosts leading 2-1.
In the eastern city of Ostrava, Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek handed the defending champions the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead after winning the doubles rubber.
The Czechs needed three hours and 57 minutes to beat Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5 1-6 7-6 7-6.
In Mar del Plata, Italy lead hosts Argentina 2-1 after Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli beat Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos 6-7 7-6 7-6 6-4 in four hours.
Japan lead last year’s semi-finalists Canada 2-1 in Tokyo after Kei Nishikori propelled the hosts to a doubles win as they bid for a quarter-final place for the first time since the 16-nation elite group format was introduced in 1981.
In San Diego, Great Britain lead the US 2-0 after world No.4 Andy Murray beat Donald Young 6-1 6-2 6-3 and James Ward upset Sam Querrey 1-6 7-6 3-6 6-4 6-1.
