GENEVA — Roger Federer pulled Switzerland level against Kazakhstan in their Davis Cup quarter-final after Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka had slumped to a shock defeat in Geneva. World No. 4 Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam title winner, swept past 56th-ranked Mikhail Kukushkin, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to leave the tie level at 1-1 after the first day. Earlier, Wawrinka, the world No. 3, was stunned by unfancied Andrey Golubev, the world's 64th ranked player, in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) shock. “It was a great match I think for me,” an understated Golubev said after one of his biggest career wins. “I played well, it was not easy but I'm happy that I won. The key was to try and be aggressive and not to give him too much time. I think I did good.” On Saturday, Wawrinka and Federer will take on Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Evgeny Korolev in the doubles. The eventual winners of the tie will face either Italy or Great Britain in September's semifinals. Fabio Fognini overcame an injury and tough resistance from James Ward to give Italy a 1-0 lead over Britain on the rain-delayed opening day of their Davis Cup quarterfinal Friday in Naples. Andy Murray's match against Andreas Seppi was then suspended due to poor light with the British No. 1 leading 6-4, 5-5 after just under two hours of play. The match will resume Saturday morning ahead of the doubles. Fognini was made to struggle against a player ranked 148 places below him before winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in more than three hours to preserve his remarkable Davis Cup record on clay. The start was delayed by more than two hours because of rain in Naples. Title-holder Czech Republic took a 2-0 lead over Japan in Tokyo. Despite missing world No. 5 Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek and Lukas Rosol claimed battling victories over a weakened Japan team, which is without talisman Kei Nishikori due to injury while Go Soeda has a virus. Stepanek beat Tatsuma Ito 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 7-5 in the opening rubber while Rosol then overcame Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2. “I'm very happy to be at 2-0,” Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil told reporters. “They had nothing to lose and in the end of both matches we were a little bit lucky.” Stepanek was in trouble early on against Ito and needed to make a diving volley to avoid going down two sets to love. But having won the second set tie-break, the world 47 took control against an opponent ranked almost 100 places lower than him. “There are days you're not playing your best tennis that you have to find ways to win,” said Stepanek. Rosol blew a two-set lead against a player ranked 150 places below him before pulling it together to win his first ever five set match. In the other quarter-final, Germany took a 1-0 lead over France in Nancy as Tobias Kamke beat Julien Benneteau 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-2 ahead of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's meeting with Peter Gojowczyk. South Korea 1, India 1 South Korea and India took an opening singles match each in their Davis Cup second-round tie Friday in the southern South Korean port city of Busan. Somdev Devvarman defeated Chung Hyeon in straight sets, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, in the first match on the hard court. But Lim Yong-Kyu turned the tables for the home side, defeating Sanam Singh 7-6(7/5), 6-4, 6-4, to level the tie. — Agencies
