Spain leads Austria 2-0 in Davis Cup QF
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Clay-court stalwarts David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro combined to give reigning champion Spain a commanding 2-0 lead over Austria in their 2012 Davis Cup quarterfinal.
Friday's opening singles in the best-of-five tie saw a 12th-ranked Almagro dismantle world No. 21 Austrian lefthander Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour, 56 minutes and a fifth-ranked Ferrer destroy world No. 139 Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in a brisk 1 hour, 26 minutes.
The Spaniards can advance to September's semifinals with a doubles victory in Castellon on Saturday, when Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez take on a quality Austrian duo of Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya on the red clay at Marina d'Or.
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Sunday's reverse singles currently call for Ferrer to meet Melzer and Almagro to be opposed by Haider-Maurer.
The great Rafael Nadal opted against playing for the powerful hosts this week.
Spain is led by rookie captain and former top-five player Alex Corretja, while Austria is piloted by Clemens Trimmel. The Austrians are 3-1 all-time against the Spaniards, including a win in their last meeting in Vienna back in 1995. The two nations first met way back in 1934.
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Mighty Spain beat Argentina in last year's finale to capture its third Davis Cup title in four years and fifth overall championship -- all since 2000. Austria has never won the coveted chalice.
The winner here will battle the France-United States victor in the semis.