Spain Edge Croatia To Reach Davis Cup Quarters

OSIJEK, Croatia, Feb 6 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 06th Feb, 2017 ) - Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta won their singles rubbers on Sunday as Spain sealed a berth in the Davis Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over 2016 runners-up Croatia.

In Osijek, 16th-ranked Bautista Agut forced a decisive fifth rubber as he defeated Franko Skugor 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). And Carreno Busta stepped up to atone for Friday's shock loss to 223-ranked Skugor by defeating Nikola Mektic 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-4.

Five-time champions Spain will play Novak Djokovic's Serbia in April for a place in the final four. Croatia were leading 2-1 after a marathon doubles clash on Saturday in which Marin Draganja and Mektic defeated Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-7, (6/8), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4.

Croatia, playing without national number one Marin Cilic, had been leading after the opening rubber on Friday in which Skugor unexpectedly defeated Carreno Busta 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6). Skugor saw off the 26th-ranked Spaniard, who was playing after 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal opted out of the tie.

In the second rubber on Friday Bautista Agut defeated Davis Cup debutant Ante Pavic, the world number 486, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.