Sweden take 2-0 lead over Russia

Seven-times Davis Cup winners Sweden took a firm grip of a place in this year's semi-finals by winning both opening singles in their World Group quarter-final tie against Russia on Friday.

"It feels good to be 2-0 ahead after the first day. Usually we are 1-1," Swedish team captain Cal-Axel Hageskog said.

Russia are without Marat Safin, the U.S. Open champion and ATP Entry System world number one, due to injury.

"With Safin on the team, I think we would have had a much better chance of winning this tie," said Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev, all but admitting that his side's chances of reaching the last four were now virtually non-existent.

"Now Sweden have a much better chance," he said.

Including their 12 appearances in Davis Cup finals, Sweden have reached the semifinals stage 22 times since 1946, the first time the Nordic country which later produced tennis greats such as Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg made it to the last four.

On Friday, Thomas Johansson started off by beating Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the Olympic champion, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-2 in a 221-minute marathon to give Sweden the lead. Double-faults by the Russian on crucial points, as well as the Swede's greater stamina, proved decisive.

In the second singles Magnus Norman, fifth in the ATP Entry System rankings, had a hard time against unheralded 18-year-old Mikhail Yuzhny in a nail-biting first set. Having won it 11-9 in the tiebreak, the Swede easily played out the remaining two sets 6-4, 6-2.

The Russian pairing of Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovskiy must win Saturday's doubles against Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin to keep the rubber alive until Sunday's reverse singles.

The winners of the quarter-final this weekend will meet Brazil or Australia in the semi-finals

Australia, Brazil 1-1

Lleyton Hewitt outclassed Fernando Meligeni 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to bring Australia level with Brazil at 1-1 in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Friday.

The Australian refused to be distracted either by the crowd -- play was interrupted in the first set when security guards ejected an unruly fan -- or what he described as "fumbling" ball boys, as he brushed aside an increasingly bad-tempered opponent in straight sets.

Hewitt cancelled out Gustavo Kuerten's win over Patrick Rafter in the first singles tie, which ended in the fourth set when Rafter withdrew with a sore elbow. Kuerten was winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 2-1 at the time.

Hewitt is 87 places above Meligeni in the ATP Entry Systems rankings and the difference showed as he controlled the game from the baseline.

After sweeping through the first set, Hewitt broke in the first and last games of the second to put himself firmly in control.

Meligeni became frustrated by his own unforced errors and the superiority of his opponent and he found it difficult to control his temper in the final set.

First, he took exception to Hewitt's celebration after winning the third game. He then threw a bottle to the ground in disgust during the sixth game after the umpire interrupted a point when Hewitt claimed he was not ready.

"The umpire was trying to steal the show," said Meligeni afterwards.

Hewitt said he asked the point to be stopped because of the ball boys.

"The boys at the back of the court were 10 or 12 years old and they were fumbling the balls and I thought I had to take my time," he said.

Hewitt was unapologetic about the celebration which annoyed Meligeni.

"He did it in the first game of the match, maybe you should ask him what it means," he said.

Australia said they would not know until Saturday morning whether Rafter would be fit to play in the doubles.

Rafter said he had decided to call it a day against Kuerten because he did not want to risk aggravating his injury with Saturday's doubles and Sunday's reverse singles to come.

Kuerten hinted that he was not convinced that Rafter was hurt and said he was surprised at hearing his opponent thought he could have won the match.

"He needed to win the last two sets. He didn't seem that close to me," he said.

Kuerten said Saturday's doubles, in which he and Jaime Oncins are due to take on Rafter and Wayne Arthurs, would be vital.

"The doubles will be the crucial point. There are no favourites."

France lead Swiss 2-0

Nicolas Escude beat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday to give France a 2-0 lead in their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final, leaving Switzerland on the brink of elimination.

Earlier, Arnaud Clement drew first blood for the French outlasting Marc Rosset in a gruelling five set marathon -- 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-7, 15-13 -- that took five hours and 46 minutes and nine match points to complete.

Escude, who was knocked out of the Australian Open in the second round by Federer but came back to beat the Swiss number one in the final in Rotterdam, continued his domination over the teenager to keep intact his 100 per cent record in four Davis Cup singles matches.

France can close out the tie with a victory in Saturday's doubles which will have Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro taking on Federer and Lorenzo Manta.