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Spain ahead although Nadal is out

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GENEVA, Switzerland -- Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez beat Switzerland's Marco Chiudinelli and Yves Allegro in a grueling doubles encounter to give Spain a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup world group first-round tie in Geneva.

The Spanish left-handers won 7-6 6-7 6-7 6-1 12-10 in four hours 48 minutes.

"I feel tired, but very happy," said Verdasco. "We had to fight a lot and it's a great present for us to win the match because in the past there have been a lot of matches where we fought just as hard but still lost."

The hosts, without absent world number one Roger Federer and injured Swiss number two Stanislas Wawrinka, were in command until Chiudinelli's serve was broken twice in the fourth set.

A further break, this time of Allegro's serve, then put the Spanish 4-3 ahead, but the Swiss clawed their way back with an immediate break.

With no tiebreak possible in the final set, a lengthy test of nerves ensued and it was the home side who eventually gave way as the Spanish grabbed what proved to be the decisive break in the set's 21st game.

The depleted Swiss now face a daunting task on Sunday with reserve Stephane Bohli due to face world number 33 Verdasco in the day's opening singles.

Bohli, 23, ranked 278th in the world, was drafted in when Wawrinka tore knee ligaments in training on Thursday.

Sunday's second singles is between Chiudinelli and world number 15 David Ferrer.

Spain will have to finish the job on Sunday without world number two Rafael Nadal.

Spanish captain Emilio Sanchez said on Saturday Nadal would take no part in the tie after pulling out with a thigh muscle injury shortly before Friday's opening rubber.

"He is definitely out, and I have heard that he may not play at next week's tournament in Marseille either," Sanchez said.

The five teams with 2-0 leads after the first day of the competition all failed to wrap up victory on Saturday.

Defending champion Russia, France, Belgium, Sweden and Argentina all could have earned insurmountable 3-0 leads with wins in the doubles, but all lost.

Closed in

The Americans closed in on the last eight after Bob and Mike Bryan beat Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner of Czech Republic 6-4 6-4 6-4 to give their team a 2-1 lead.

Andy Roddick, ranked fourth in the world, will play No. 12 Tomas Berdych in the first singles match Sunday. James Blake then faces Ivo Minar.

Germany got their win from Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann. The pair beat Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5) to give the Germans a 2-1 lead over Croatia in Krefeld, Germany.

Ancic and Ljubicic lost in Davis Cup doubles for the first time in seven matches.

Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez kept Chile alive by beating Marat Safin and Igor Andreev 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 of Russia in La Serena.

Lleyton Hewitt and Paul Hanley gave Australia their first point against Belgium, beating Kristof Vliegen and Olivier Rochus 6-2 6-4 6-2 in Liege.

Belgium captain Julien Hoferlin had planned to use Dick Norman and Christophe Rochus for the doubles, but changed his mind after Vliegen and Olivier Rochus did so well in Friday's singles.

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