Australia crash out of Davis Cup

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez returns the ball against Russia's Marat Safin during their Davis Cup tie in La Serena, Chile, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Lleyton Hewitt's Davis Cup heroics were not enough to save Australia, the 28-time champions, from crashing out of this year's tournament on Sunday when they slumped to a 3-2 defeat against Belgium.

Hewitt won a marathon five-set, opening reverse singles matchup against Olivier Rochus 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 3-6, 6-1 to leave the World Group first round tie finely poised at 2-2 on the Liege indoor clay.

But his unheralded teammate Chris Guccione, the world No. 107, was then completely outplayed by Kristof Vliegen who won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Belgium now go on to face Germany, who put out 2005 champions Croatia in April's quarter-finals.

Earlier, Hewitt had to work to make amends for his opening-day defeat when he lost to Vliegen in five sets after Guccione had been beaten by Rochus.

The 25-year-old former world No. 1 stormed back in Saturday's doubles alongside Paul Hanley.

"I took it to him in the first two sets; I think I was the better player in the first three," Hewitt said.

Germany's Tommy Haas returns a ball to Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic during their Davis Cup tennis match in Krefeld, Germany, on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

"I would have preferred to win in straight sets and I was two points away from doing that. But he battled and made me play a lot of balls," he said.

Andy Roddick led US team into the quarter-finals and a showdown with Spain, the team that beat them in a thrilling final in 2004.

Roddick secured the US' first win on clay in the World Group in a decade with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) win over Czech Tomas Berdych in Ostrava to take his second point of the first round tie after also winning his opening singles match on Friday.

"It is definitely one of my best matches on clay," the US player said after his eighth win in a row in a deciding Davis Cup encounter.

Doubles specialist Bob Bryan then wrapped up the tie 4-1 with a dead-rubber, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win over Lukas Dlouhy.

Spain, twice Davis Cup winners, overcame the absence of Rafael Nadal to see off Switzerland, who were playing without Roger Federer, with Fernando Verdasco making sure of victory in Geneva when he saw off Stephane Bohli 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

The win also ended Spain's poor recent run in which they had lost in the first round the last two years.

The Swiss, who were also without their No. 2 player Stanislaw Wawrinka, won the dead rubber to make the final score 3-2 when Marco Chiudinelli edged David Ferrer 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Igor Andreev emerged as Russia's saviour to take the holders into a home quarter-final match-up against France.

Andreev, who endured a nightmare season last year with a lengthy absence because of a knee injury, defeated Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-2, 6-1, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4 to give Russia a 3-2 win over Chile at La Serena.

Earlier, Chile had pulled level 2-2 after Fernando Gonzalez defeated Marat Safin 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

Russia and France know each other well, with the Russians winning three times in their matchups in the last five years, including the 2002 final.

France, the nine-time champions, saw Richard Gasquet beat Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 and Arnaud Clement ease past Florin Mergea 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in Clermont-Ferrand.

Argentina beat Austria 4-1 in Linz to reach the quarter-finals, where they will take on Sweden, who defeated Belarus 3-2 in Minsk.

Juan Martin del Potro, who replaced flu-hit Jose Acacuso, secured the vital point by beating Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 as Argentina made sure of their place in the final eight.

Robin Soderling battled back twice from a set down to put Sweden into the quarter-finals with a marathon four-hour win over Max Mirnyi of Belarus.

Soderling produced 28 aces to win 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to give Sweden an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the first round tie.

Germany, who beat 2005 champions Croatia 3-2, were indebted to Tommy Haas, who saw off Ivan Ljubicic 6-2, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in the crucial first reverse singles.