Tennis: Russia set up home final against Argentina

Russia, Davis Cup winners three years ago, will meet Argentina in their fourth final after beating the US in their semi-final in Moscow overnight (NZ time).

The Russians will host the December 1-3 final against an Argentine side who beat Australia inside two days in the Buenos Aires semi-final on Saturday to reach their second final and first since 1981.

Russian substitute Dmitry Tursunov, replacing Mikhail Youzhny, beat Andy Roddick 6-3 6-4 5-7 3-6 17-15 in an epic fourth rubber for an unassailable 3-1 lead after the Americans' doubles victory on Saturday had kept their hopes alive.

"I didn't have much time to work out a strategy... I had some ideas of how to play him. It worked for the first two sets but not for the next two. In the fifth set I had no strategy, just tried to fight back," said Tursunov.

Singles victories by Marat Safin over Roddick and Youzhny against James Blake on Friday had put the Russians in command. Blake's 7-5 7-6 win over Safin in Sunday's final dead rubber made the score 3-2 to Russia.

Russia hosted Argentina in a 2002 semi-final and won 3-2 on the way to winning the trophy for the first time. The last time the two countries met, in a 2003 quarter-final in Buenos Aires, the Argentines won 5-0.

Argentina, inspired by world number four David Nalbandian, were dominant against the Australians on their favourite clay surface at the Parque Roca.

Nalbandian beat Mark Philippoussis in three sets in the opening rubber on Saturday and Jose Acasuso completed a rain-interrupted, five-set victory over Lleyton Hewitt on Sunday morning before Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri crushed Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley in straights sets in Saturday's doubles.

Calleri steeped in for a best-of-three-sets first reserve singles on Sunday against Hanley and won 6-0 6-3. Arthurs gave Juan Ignacio Chela a walkover to hand Argentina a 5-0 win.

World number two Rafael Nadal secured Spain's place in the world group for 2007 by beating Italian number one Filippo Volandri 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 with a typically combative display in the first reverse singles.

Nadal's win gave 2004 champions Spain an unassailable lead and David Ferrer beat Andreas Seppi 6-2 6-2 in the final rubber reduced to the best of three sets, to complete a 4-1 play-off victory.

World number one Roger Federer maintained Switzerland's place in the world group with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 win over Serbian teenager Novak Djokovic.

After winning Friday's opening singles against Janko Tipsarevic and taking a second point in the doubles with partner Yves Allegro on Saturday, Federer made it three out of three on Sunday to give the Swiss a decisive 3-1 lead.

"It was very important for us to keep our place in the world group and it's a fantastic feeling because somehow the Davis Cup always brings out a lot of emotion," Federer said after the Swiss completed a 4-1 win.

Belgium returned to the world group with a 3-2 victory over last year's losing finalists Slovakia in Bratislava, Germany beat Thailand 4-1 and Romania took an unassailable 3-1 lead over South Korea.

The five countries joined the Czech Republic and Austria, who secured their places in the 16-nation world group with a day to spare on Saturday.

Brazil were 1-1 against Sweden in Belo Horizonte and playing the doubles on Sunday.

- REUTERS