KEY POINTS:
China kept their hopes alive in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania group two final against New Zealand with victory in the doubles at New Plymouth yesterday.
The experienced combination of Shao-Xuan Zeng and Xinyuan Yu were deserved 6-2 6-4 5-7 6-4 winners over Daniel King-Turner and GD Jones to register their first victory of the tie.
The New Zealanders fought back in the latter stages of the match but despite many close deuce games were unable to recover from the break of King-Turner's serve in the first game of the fourth set.
A key point came in the second set when New Zealand led 4-1 but lost serve three times to lose the set and go 0-2 down.
New Zealand lead 2-1 and must now win one of the reverse singles today to clinch the tie and be promoted to Asia-Oceania group one next year. That group includes Australia, Thailand, India, Japan and Taiwan, among others.
In the group one final being played this weekend in Antofagasta, Chile, Australia is 2-0 down against Chile. If New Zealand win through today and Australia lose to Chile (the Australian team is relying on younger blood, as Lleyton Hewitt is absent through injury), that will see the great transtasman sporting rivals competing in the Davis Cup next year.
New Zealand were comfortable winners of both singles matches on Friday. Rubin Statham beat Chinese No 1 Yan Bai 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 while New Zealand No 1 King-Turner defeated Peng Sun 6-3 6-2 6-4.
King-Turner is scheduled to play Bai and Peng will take on Statham in reverse singles matches today.
New Zealand have played China five times previously in the Davis Cup, in 1937, 1985, 1987, 1996 and 1999, winning each time.
Meanwhile, in other Davis Cup clashes, Spain and Argentina capitalised on their home claycourt advantage to move closer to a Davis Cup final showdown after taking control of their semifinals.
Spain, two-time winners, opened up a 2-0 lead over defending champions USA with world number one Rafael Nadal outclassing debutant Sam Querrey 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-4 inside Madrid's intimidating, 22,000-capacity Las Ventas bullring. David Ferrer then ground out a 7-6 2-6 1-6 6-4 8-6 win over Andy Roddick.
In Buenos Aires, David Nalbandian eased past Igor Andreev 7-6 6-2 6-4 to give Argentina the lead over two-time champions Russia before 19-year-old Juan Martin del Potro extended his summer streak to 24 wins in 25 matches by easing past world number six Nikolay Davydenko 6-1 6-4 6-2.
Roddick, who went into Friday's rubber with Ferrer boasting a 29-9 Davis Cup record, said: "I thought I played pretty well. The level from both players was high."
Should Argentina defeat Russia, they will have home advantage in December's final when they will be bidding for a first Davis Cup title after twice finishing runners-up.
In the playoffs, where the winners will be guaranteed places in the 2009 World Group, US Open runner-up Andy Murray pulled Great Britain level 1-1 with Austria.
The Scot made quick work of Alexander Peya, racing to a 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory on Wimbledon's Court One to cancel out Jurgen Melzer's 3-6 7-6 6-2 6-1 victory over Alex Bogdanovic. In Lausanne, Switzerland were 2-0 to the good against Belgium.
Stanislas Wawrinka needed four hours to see off Steve Darcis before world number two Roger Federer eased past close friend Kristof Vliegen 7-6 6-4 6-2.
In Bratislava, world number three Novak Djokovic gave Serbia the lead over Slovakia, the 2005 runners-up, with a 6-2 6-4 6-3 win over Dominik Hrbaty. Janko Tipsarevic made it 2-0 with a four-hour victory over Lukas Lacko.
