KEY POINTS:
LONDON - Perennial Davis Cup tennis protagonists Australia were upset 3-2 by Belgium while holders Russia clung to their crown in the first round today.
Belgium beat the Australians for the first time to reach the quarterfinals in April along with Russia, 3-2 winners in Chile, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and 2006 runners-up Argentina.
All eight ties were not decided until today's reverse singles after they went into the final day for the first time since the world group was introduced in 1981.
Six nations, however, won with a rubber to spare, taking unassailable 3-1 leads by winning the first reverse singles, leaving only Australia and Russia to go the distance with a different fate for each.
Germany await the Belgians after Kristof Vliegen followed up his surprise five-set win over former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt in the opening singles.
Hewitt beat Olivier Rochus 6-2 6-3 6-7 3-6 6-1 earlier today to leave the teams level at 2-2 and send the tie down to the wire. Vliegen then overcame Chris Guccione 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Russia beat Chile in a hot, hostile environment in La Serena when Igor Andreev overcame Nicolas Massu 6-2 6-1 6-7 6-4 in the final rubber after Fernando Gonzalez had thrown the home team a lifeline with his three-set win over Marat Safin.
The Russians, who have won the trophy twice since 2002, next meet France, who went through when Richard Gasquet beat Andrei Pavel 6-3 6-2 7-5 in their tie against Romania at Clermont-Ferrand.
Andy Roddick came from one set down to beat the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-6 and secure the US a place in the last eight at home against Spain.
The Americans, who have won the cup 31 times but not since 1995, intend to go all the way this year.
"That's a stat I do not like, especially considering I have been on the team for the seventh year now," Roddick said after his victory in Ostrava.
Spain overcame Switzerland in similar fashion with Fernando Verdasco winning the first reverse singles 6-3 6-3 6-2 against rookie Stephane Bohli in Geneva.
Spain, winners in 2000 and 2004, were eliminated in the opening round the last two years.
Tommy Haas sealed Germany's place when his crushing 6-2 7-6 6-4 victory over Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic gave the three-time champions a 3-1 winning lead.
Robin Soderling outlasted Max Mirnyi 6-7 7-5 6-7 7-6 6-3 in a four-hour marathon to clinch victory for Sweden against Belarus.
The Swedes, the champions seven times, will be at home when they meet last year's runners-up Argentina.
The South Americans went through when debutant teenager Juan Martin Del Potro, standing in for the unwell Jose Acasuso, beat Jurgen Melzer 7-6 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-2 to give them an unassailable lead against Austria in Linz.
- REUTERS
