Del Potro draws Argentina level

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:40

The world number five, who was looking to bounce back from his shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, recorded an emphatic 6-1 6-3 6-3 win to put the South Americans, runners-up in 2006 and 2008, back in the tie.

Tomas Berdych had put the Czechs ahead by winning a five-setter against Juan Monaco. Berdych won the first set 6-4, only to go down 6-2 in the next two. But he hit back to win the fourth 6-3 and close out the decider 6-2.

Spain’s Fernando Verdasco battled back from two sets to one down to beat Germany’s Andreas Beck 6-0 3-6 6-7 6-2 6-1 in the opening rubber in Marbella.

But Philipp Kohlschreiber wasted no time drawing Germany level with the defending champions with a straight-sets dismissal of Tommy Robredo on the hosts’ clay surface. The German romped to a 6-3 6-4 6-4 win.

Spain, who beat Germany at this stage of last year’s Davis Cup, have won their last 15 home ties.

Israel took command of their quarter-final tie with Russia in Tel Aviv as victories for Harel Levy and Dudi Sela put them 2-0 up.

Levy made a mockery of being almost 200 ranking places behind world number 24 Igor Andreev – getting the better of the Russian 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2 in two hours and 51 minutes and putting his country one point ahead.

Israeli number one Sela duly made it 2-0 to Israel, despite losing the first set to Mikhail Youzhny. He recovered to prevail 3-6 6-1 6-0 7-5.

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