Teenager Rafael Nadal handed Spain a place in the Davis Cup final with a convincing 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win over Arnaud Clement of France on Sunday.
A last-minute substitute for world No. 6 Carlos Moya, the 18-year-old Nadal easily won the first reverse singles match of the semifinal clash on clay in a converted bullring in Alicante, Spain.
The Spanish, who will host the US in the final in December, won the tie 4-1. The Americans blanked Belarus 4-0 in the other semifinal in Charleston, South Carolina.
In the World Group playoffs, Austria relegated Britain with a 3-2 win, Slovakia beat Germany 3-2 and Romania topped Canada 4-1. Australia, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Russia all clinched victories on Saturday.
It was not the first time Nadal has shone bright for his country. In February, Spain's youngest ever Davis Cup player at just 17 won the deciding match against at the Czech Republic.
On Sunday, Nadal got stronger as the match progressed.
In the first set, "Nadal was a little tense. Then he gave me a real beating," Clement said.
In the final match, Tommy Robredo beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4.
Spain, the 2000 Davis Cup champion and last year's runner-up to Australia, hasn't lost a tie at home since 1999.
France was playing without the injured Sebastien Grosjean and Nicolas Escude, who was not selected.
Andy Roddick gave the United States a 4-0 sweep by beating Alexander Skrypko 6-4, 6-2. The final match, between Mardy Fish and Andrei Karatchenia, was abandoned because of rain with Fish leading 3-0.
In Portschach, Austria, Stefan Koubek won the deciding match to send the hosts to the World Group.
Koubek topped Greg Rusedski 7-6 (2), 6-4, 7-5 after Tim Henman had leveled the match by downing Juergen Melzer 0-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Austria took the lead by winning the doubles, which had been suspended Saturday because of darkness. Julian Knowle and Alexander Peja defeated Henman and Rusedski 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Austria captain Thomas Muster said his team won because of the unexpected doubles win, which ended Henman and Rusedski's unbeaten run in Davis Cup doubles at eight matches.
"The whole team was top fit and we are very proud to have defeated a nation of such long-standing tennis tradition," Muster said.
In Bratislava, Slovakia, Karol Kucera defeated Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in the final match.
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