Croat Ljubicic offers heroics, Beck shocks Coria

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic provided heroics for the hosts when he outlasted Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in five thrilling sets to draw their Davis Cup semi-final level at 1-1 in Split yesterday.

Ljubicic took three hours and two minutes to grind Youzhny down 3-6 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-4 and atone for team-mate Mario Ancic's earlier 7-5 6-4 5-7 6-4 loss to the visitors' Nikolay Davydenko.

Croatia, looking to reach their first Davis Cup final, would meet Slovakia or Argentina in the December showpiece if they were to overcome the Russians.

Day two will see the doubles rubber between Ancic and Ljubicic and Youzhny and Dimitry Tursunov before the reverse singles tomorrow.

Slovakia were tied 1-1 with Argentina after Karol Beck posted what he described as his "best-ever victory in the Davis Cup" before David Nalbandian brought the visitors level.

Beck beat Argentina's top-ranked player Guillermo Coria 7-5 6-4 6-4 in Bratislava's Sibamac Arena National Tennis Centre before Nalbandian overcame Domink Hrbaty 3-6 7-5 7-5 6-3.

"I came up against a player who was better on the day," a magnanimous Coria said. "He's better than I am on this (hardcourt) surface."

In play-off action to remain in - or join - the elite 16-nation World Group next season, the United States managed to get back into their tie with Belgium.

Spain also performed a similar comeback job in Italy, while Switzerland all but put paid to Britain's hopes of top-flight action next season.

Last year's runners-up the US got off to a poor start in Belgium when Olivier Rochus beat James Blake 6-4 7-5 6-1 in yesterday's opening rubber at the SPORTPLAZA Leuven in Belgium.

"To be 1-0 against the United States is very good, Rochus said. "Two-zero for the US before the doubles... (it) would have been almost over for us."

Andy Roddick drew the 31-time champions level before the end of the day, however, when he beat Olivier's brother Christophe Rochus 6-1 6-2 6-3.

Switzerland, led by runaway world number one Roger Federer, took a firm 2-0 grip on their best-of-five rubber match against Britain in Geneva.

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Scottish teenager Andy Murray 6-3 7-6 6-4 after Federer had earlier thumped hapless Scot Alan Mackin 6-0 6-0 6-2 in the day's opening rubber.

In Italy's Torre del Greco, world number two Rafael Nadal beat the hosts' Daniele Bracciali 6-3 6-2 6-1 to bring Spain level at 1-1.

Nadal swept aside Bracciali to ensure the Spaniards go into today's doubles on equal terms after Juan Carlos Ferrero had earlier suffered a shock defeat to Andreas Seppi.