Spain, Argentina lead in their Davis Cup semis

Madrid: For a while, one set to be precise, the United States could entertain the tantalising thought of a big upset in the Davis Cup.

But Sam Querrey's lead over top-ranked Rafael Nadal lasted only so long. And the Spaniards were playing on their beloved clay and before a crowd of some 16,000 in a bullfighting arena.

The result was a 2-0 lead for Spain in Friday's semi-final, leaving the defending champion Americans in a big hole entering doubles in the best-of-five series.

"Obviously we're up against it, but we knew that coming here," US captain Patrick McEnroe said. "We're going to try and win the doubles tomorrow and that's it. We'll give it a shot."

Nadal dropped the first set in the opening singles but recovered to win 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 over an opponent making his DavisCup debut and filling in for James Blake.

David Ferrer completed the hosts' perfect day with a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 8-6 victory against Andy Roddick.

Spain haven't lost a clay-court Davis Cup series in nine years. They can secure their sixth Davis Cup final appearance on Saturday when Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez face Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish.

"We have to be careful," Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. "The service game is essential. If it's going well it's nearly impossible to beat. What is clear is that the altitude is making both teams equal and is playing a big factor into the matches."

The winner will play Argentina or Russia for the title. Argentina lead 2-0 at home behind victories by David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro. Argentina lost the 2006 final to Russia.

Juan Martin del Potro beat sixth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to give Argentina a 2-0.

The 13th-ranked Del Potro showed no signs of nerves playing his first DavisCup home match and easily dismantled Davydenko in front of a sellout crowd of 14,000.

Earlier, seventh-ranked David Nalbandian beat Russia's Igor Andreev 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4. Argentine duo Agustin Calleri and Guillermo Canas are set to play Igor Kunitsyn and Dimitry Tursunov in Saturday's doubles.

Argentina haven't lost at home in 10 years, winning 12 straight ties, but have never won the Davis Cup.

The US have a record 32 Davis Cup titles but are using a makeshift squad. They have rallied to victory only once in 32 tries when trailing 2-0, and that was 74 years ago.

The pressure to beat perhaps the world's best clay-court team falls to Bryan and Fish. Fish is a replacement for Bob Bryan, who had played 16 straight ties with twin brother Mike before this series.

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Nadal overcame Querrey's booming serve before settling in to dictate play against a 6-foot-6 player who is ranked 39th.

"He got himself fired up and got the crowd into it," Querrey said.

Querrey delivered an ace to take the opening game. Nadal, playing for the first time in Spain since winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal, rallied the home crowd after smacking a winner down the line to set up the tiebreaker.

The 20-year-old Querrey raced ahead 4-1 in the tiebreaker after serving 134 mph down the middle. Nadal battled back to 5-4 before double-faulting, and Querrey closed the set two points later.

"It was very difficult for me to return balls and control points," Nadal said. "Maybe with the altitude it made it a little bit easier for him."

Nadal won the second set on his second break point before taking control in the third set. He broke serve in the fourth game with a crosscourt forehand and celebrated with a running jump and fist-pump.

Nadal to hit winner after winner against Querrey, whose serve wilted in the afternoon sun. Querrey finished with 74 unforced errors to Nadal's 35.

"Never in my life have I had so many service points scored against me on a clay court," Nadal said. "It was very important for us to start with a victory."

Ferrer, ranked No. 5, took the first set. Roddick then looked on course to even the series after dominating the second and third sets behind 17 aces.

But an early break gave Ferrer the fourth set, and the No. 8 American couldn't convert a break in the sixth game of the final set.

"The crowd played a fundamental role," Ferrer said. "In the fifth set there was a lot of tension and it was an emotional game. It was important to have them at my side."

Roddick, whose nine-match winning streak ended, is 0-3 in the Davis Cup against top-10 players. He complained to the chair umpire several times about the crowd.

"At the end of the match a couple of guys shouted out in the middle of the game," McEnroe said. "And as I told Andy, 'that happens.' That's a little frustrating but to be expected in a match like that."

In Buenos Aires, Nalbandian beat Igor Andreev 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4, and 19-year-old del Potro routed Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

"The support of the crowd made some really nerve-racking moments easier," del Potro said.

In doubles, Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas will play Russia's Igor Kunitsyn and Dimitry Tursunov.

In World Group play-offs, Roger Federer helped Switzerland take a 2-0 lead at the Czech Republic.

Federer, making his first appearance of the year before his home crowd, beat Kristof Vliegen 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-2 to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead over Belgium.

At Wimbledon, England, Andy Murray, who lost to Federer in the US Open final, swept Alexander Peya 6-4, 6-1, 6-3, pulling Britain even with Austria at 1-1.

At Bratislava, Slovakia, Novak Djokovic brushed aside Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 in the opener, and Serbia went on to a 2-0 lead over Slovakia.