Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny won their singles matches Friday to give Russia a 2-0 lead over Romania in their Davis Cup clash. Safin defeated Romania's Victor Crivoi 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 in the opening singles match and Youzhny extended Russia's lead by beating Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Rafael Nadal and his Spanish teammates, meanwhile, endured a Davis Cup Costa Blanca blowout as the defending champion's first round tie against Serbia fell victim to gale-force winds. Meanwhile, 2,000 kilometers to the north, the Swedish city of Malmo was in the eye of a political storm when Israel's Davis Cup team, which was facing Sweden behind closed doors, was greeted by hundreds of protestors, demanding the match be called off due to Israel's December offensive in Gaza. While Russia, the champion in 2002 and 2006, eased into a 2-0 lead against Romania, 2005 winner Croatia was 2-0 ahead at home to Chile while nine-time champion France was tied at 1-1 with the Czech Republic. Argentina, 2008 runner-up, was 2-0 up at home to the Netherlands while Austria was tied with Germany 1-1. The 32-time champion USA was starting later against Switzerland, which is without the injured Roger Federer, in Alabama. In Benidorm, the 14,000-seater Parque Tematico Terra Mitica stadium was deemed unsafe for play after 90kmh winds damaged part of the arena, causing the day's first clash between David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic and Nadal's match-up with Janko Tipsarevic to be delayed by a day. Action on Saturday will start earlier to improve the chances of getting the tie completed by Sunday. In Malmo, around 200 people demonstrated against Sweden's clash with Israel. The tie at the Baltiska Hallen arena is being played behind closed doors while, outside, more than 1,000 police officers were on duty. In front of a tiny crowd of team members, media and guests, former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, 33, took four hours to give the Swedes a 1-0 lead thanks to a 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 win over Israel's number two Harel Levy. Dudi Sela, however, put Israel level 1-1 after beating Andreas Vinciguerra 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9. Russia was in charge of its tie against Romania in Sibiu after former world number one Marat Safin beat world 129 Victor Crivoi 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4 and Mikhail Youzhny saw off Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. In Ostrava, Tomas Berdych beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to give the Czech Republic an early edge over France. Berdych, playing in his 12th Davis Cup tie, sealed victory in 3 hours 26 minutes against Simon, who was making his Davis Cup debut. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga then leveled for France, beating serve-and-volleyer Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1). Mario Ancic claimed Croatia's first point against Chile in Porec beating Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) before Marin Cilic eased past Paul Capdeville, standing in for the injured Fernando Gonzalez, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber fought back from two sets down to beat Austria's Juergen Melzer and even their Davis Cup World Group tie at 1-1 on Friday. Kohlschreiber downed Melzer 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 after Germany's top player Rainer Schuettler was beaten by Stefan Koubek 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. In Buenos Aires, Juan Ignacio Chela put Argentina in front against the Netherlands, defeating Jesse Huta Galung 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2. Juan Monaco then extended Argentina's advantage with a 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) victory over Thiemo De Bakker. Japan leads China 2-0 In Osaka, Japan, Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda won their singles matches Friday to give Japan to a 2-0 lead over China in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1 clash. Nishikori defeated China's Zhang Ze 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 after Soeda beat Zeng Shaoxuan 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the opening match. Australia's gamble on using youngster Brydan Klein in its Davis Cup Asia-Oceania clash with Thailand failed as he was beaten by the experienced Danai Udomchoke in Friday's singles in Bangkok. Udomchoke won 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to square the tie at 1-1 after former world's No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt breezed through his match against Kittipong Wachiramanowong 6-3, 6-2, 6
