Marat Safin clawed back from two sets down to beat Czech Tomas Berdych 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and hand Russia a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup quarter-final tie on Friday. Former world number one Safin has struggled all season and is now ranked 87th in the world but he found his rhythm in the nick of time to wear down Berdych in just under four hours to whoops and cheers from the partisan crowd. Safin's powerful serves and forehands forced world number nine Berdych on to the defensive during the final three sets of a scrappy encounter in which both players made dozens of unforced errors. Eventually Safin's brute force overwhelmed Berdych.Igor Andreev will be aiming to extend Russia's lead when he takes on the Czech Republic's Radek Stapenek in the second singles rubber on Friday.Spain goes one up In Germany, Rafael Nadal shrugged off a bout of jet-lag to beat Nicolas Kiefer 7-6, 6-0, 6-3 and give Spain a 1-0 lead over Germany in their Davis Cup quarterfinal on Friday. Nadal, who flew in from Miami at the start of the week, made a sluggish start on the fast indoor hard court but managed to edge an 88-minute first set 7-5 on the tiebreak, after blowing a chance to serve for it at 5-4. The world number two found a much better rhythm in the second set, helped by an unrelenting stream of unforced errors from the 30-year-old Kiefer, back in the Davis Cup after an absence of more than two years.Australia, India ahead Australia and India took big strides toward qualification for the Davis Cup World Group by seizing 2-0 leads in their respective Asia-Oceania zone Group One ties Friday. Australia took a two-match advantage over Thailand, while India was also two matches up against Japan, with the winner of the ties to go into playoffs for entry to the World Group in 2009. Australia's Chris Guccione survived three match points to beat Danai Udomchoke 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 before former world's No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt easily beat Kirati Siributwong in the second match 6-0, 6-0, 6-1. Japan looked like leveling its tie against India at 1-1 before Prakash Amritraj rallied from two sets down to beat Go Soeda 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 8-6. The victory by Amritraj - son of Vijay Amritraj - added to the earlier victory of Rohan Bopanna who also prevailed in a tight struggle, downing Kei Nishikori 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. India's experienced doubles pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and team captain Leander Paes will be favorites to close out the tie Saturday. In the playoffs to remain in the Asia-Oceania Group One, the Philippines took a 2-0 lead over Uzbekistan after opening singles. __
