Sweden, Germany, U.S. reach Davis Cup semi-finals

LONDON (Reuters) - A quartet of thirty-somethings, led by Jonas Bjorkman at 35, took former champions Sweden and Germany into the semi-finals of the Davis Cup on Saturday.

They were joined by the U.S. who took a winning 3-0 lead over Spain in North Carolina. In Moscow, holders Russia lead France 2-1.

Swede Bjorkman and 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, 32, gave their country a 3-0 winning lead over 2006 runners-up Argentina with a 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-3 victory over David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas in the doubles in Gothenburg.

Sweden, seven times champions, had not reached the final four of the world group since 2001.

Germany took a 3-0 unassailable lead over Belgium after Michael Kohlmann, 34, and Alexander Waske, 32, defeated brothers Olivier and Christophe Rochus 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-1.

The Germans have been champions on three occasions but the last time they were semi-finalists was in 1995, when Boris Becker was their top player and Philipp Kohlschreiber, who made a victorious cup debut in Friday's singles, was 11 years old.

On a busy day for the statisticians, Russia recorded their first Davis Cup doubles win over France to take a 2-1 lead in the Moscow quarter-final.

Nikolay Davydenko, standing in for Marat Safin who had a foot injury, and Igor Andreev beat Sebastien Grosjean and Michael Llodra 3-6 7-5 6-3 3-6 6-3 to become the first Russian or Soviet doubles pair to beat France in seven meetings, going back to 1973.

FASTEST WINNERS

Germany were the fastest team into September's semi-finals, continuing a long tradition of thrashing Belgium.

Two more wins in Sunday's reverse singles would give the Germans their fifth successive whitewash over their smaller neighbors and a last-four tie against either Russia or France.

Davydenko, who had never played Davis Cup doubles before, and Andreev, made an unconventional pair for Russia, admitting that they acted like two singles players rather than a unit.

Andreev said the French were better versed in the art of doubles. "So what we had to do was not to get dragged into this doubles' play and do what we do well, to play at the back," he told reporters.

The tactic worked and the Russians dominated in the deciding fifth set.

Argentina had beaten Sweden 5-0 in the first round last year but never looked comfortable on the fast indoor carpet surface at Gothenburg's Convention Centre.

Captain Alberto Mancini decided to play Canas, who had been rested on Friday because of tiredness and a slight leg injury, instead of Sebastian Prieto.

Johansson's powerful serve and Bjorkman's deft drop shots and volleys at the net were too much for the Argentine pair, however, and the Swedes won through to a meeting with either the United States or Spain in the semi-finals.

The Americans led 2-0 after the opening day's singles, with wins for James Blake and Andy Roddick. Twins Bob and Mike Bryan completed the job on Saturday, easing past Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-3 3-6 7-6.