Spain survive, US and Argentina eliminated

LONDON: Juan Carlos Ferrero was the unlikely hero for champions Spain as he rode a wave of patriotic fervor to salvage their Davis Cup hopes on Sunday.

While Ferrero was spurred on by a frenzied crowd to ensure Spain squeezed into the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Germany, there was no escape route for Davis Cup heavyweights United States and Argentina who were both unceremoniously dumped out.

The Americans, champions a record 32 times, had to win both Sunday's reverse singles to reach the last four but Marin Cilic brought a swift end to their challenge when he beat James Blake 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to give Croatia an unbeatable 3-1 lead.