Argentina defeated defending champion Great Britain 3-2 to reach the Davis Cup final Sunday. Leonardo Mayer beat Dan Evans 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to clinch the decisive rubber. Earlier, a commanding performance from Great Britain's Andy Murray had leveled the tie at 2-2. Murray, who appeared to strain a muscle in the third set, breezed past Argentina's Guido Pella in straight sets in front of a partisan crowd, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Juan Martin del Potro was due to play Argentina's final match, but in a surprise move from captain Daniel Orsanic, it was Mayer who was designated to play the decider against Evans. The South Americans will now face Croatia, which beat France in the other semifinal, in the final from Nov. 25-27. In Zadar, Croatia, Marin Cilic swatted aside Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets Sunday to send Croatia into the final for only the second time. The 2014 US Open champion won 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to give Croatia an unassailable 3-1 lead with one singles rubber left to play. Croatia won its only final 11 years ago away to Slovakia. Borna Coric was scheduled to play Lucas Pouille in the final rubber. Spain whitewashes India Spain capped its return to the Davis Cup World Group by completing a 5-0 whitewash against India in New Delhi Sunday. World No. 4 Rafael Nadal was rested for the two dead rubbers on the final day as Marc Lopez and David Ferrer maintained Spain's dominance in the World Group play-off tie. Marc Lopez beat Sumit Nagal 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 while Ferrer outclassed Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-2, 6-2 in the reverse singles matches at Delhi's RK Khanna Tennis Stadium. Rain washes out matches Rain washed out the dead reverse singles matches on the final day of Australia's Davis Cup World Group play-off with Slovakia in Sydney Sunday. Australia clinched its place in the 2017 World Group after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead when it won Saturday's doubles. Australia is second only to the United States on the all-time list of Davis Cup champions, having won the title 28 times. New Zealand completes rout of Pakistan New Zealand completed a 5-0 rout of Pakistan in their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie in Christchurch Sunday when Finn Tearney and Jose Statham took the reverse singles. The overwhelming victory ensured New Zealand remain in Group I with the prospect of challenging for a World Group playoff next year. New Zealand took an unassailable 3-0 lead when it won the doubles Saturday and finished off Pakistan with straight-set victories in the reverse singles on the final day. Tearney beat Muhammad Abid Ali Khan Akbar 6-1, 6-3 and Statham downed Pakistan No. 2 Samir Iftikhar 6-4, 6-1. Germany beats Poland Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4), 6-4 6-1 to preserve Germany's World Group status with a 3-2 win over Poland in their Davis Cup playoff Sunday. Struff needed just over two hours to beat the 19-year-old Hurkacz in the deciding rubber at the clay court Rot-Weiss Tennis Club in Berlin. Earlier, the 20-year-old Marcin Matkowski upset Florian Mayer 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 as Poland came from 2-0 down to level the tie. Germany, which lost to the Czech Republic in March, stays in the 16-team World Group for 2017, while Poland returns to Europe/Africa Zone Group I. — Agencies
