HAREL Levy provided the spark to set Israel on their way to a 2-0 lead over Russia in their Davis Cup quarter-final tie.
Levy made a mockery of being almost 200 ranking places behind world No24 Igor Andreev, getting the better of the Russian 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and 51 minutes and putting his country one point ahead of former champions Russia in Tel Aviv. I
sraeli No1 Dudi Sela then made it two when he saw off Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 in the second rubber.
In the other quarter-finals, Spain's Fernando Verdasco battled back from two sets to one down to beat Germany's Andreas Beck 6-0, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 in Marbella, only for Philipp Kohlschreiber to square the tie by beating Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. 1
Croatia took a 1-0 lead over the United States when the six-foot ten figure of Ivo Karlovic rallied from two sets down to beat James Blake. Karlovic, beaten by champion Roger Federer at Wimbledon, served 47 aces on the indoor clay court for his first five-set victory. Blake seemed to have the match under control after winning the first two sets but Karlovic fought back in front of the home crowd. Croatia's No1 Marin Cilic was due to play Mardy Fish in the second singles match late last night.
The Czech Republic and Argentina were locked at one apiece after Tomas Berdych first overcame South American Juan Monaco 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Juan Martin Del Potro then struck back for Argentina, beating Ivo Minar 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
The full article contains 301 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
