World number one Rafa Nadal wasted little time steering Spain into the Davis Cup quarterfinals with a crushing win over Serbia's Novak Djokovic on Sunday. After a 4-1 victory condensed into two days because of weather problems in Benidorm, Spain will take on former champion Germany in the quarterfinals. Argentina will play the Czech Republic, Croatia will meet the United States and Russia faces Israel on the weekend of July 10-12. The Israelis beat seven-time champion Sweden 3-2 in Malmo in a tie closed to the public because of security fears. Serbia had to contend with an in-form Nadal, who notched up his 12th straight Davis Cup singles victory with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 win over Djokovic. Serbia's only win came in doubles. Argentina and Croatia enjoyed the most straightforward routes to the last eight with 5-0 wins over the Netherlands and Chile. Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela and Martin Vassallo Arguello completed the rout in Buenos Aires with straight-sets wins over Thiemo de Bakker and Matwe Middelkoop. Russia beat Romania 4-1 in Sibiu after Dmitry Tursunov, a substitute for former world number one Marat Safin, clinched the deciding point with a 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Victor Hanescu in the first reverse singles. Nicolas Kiefer proved the linchpin for Germany, beating Austria's Juergen Melzer 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday after helping Philipp Kohlschreiber to win Saturday's doubles. Radek Stepanek, inspired by success in Saturday's doubles with Tomas Berdych, clinched the vital point for the Czech Republic against nine-time champion France on Sunday. The 30-year-old Stepanek beat Gilles Simon, ranked 10 places above him at eighth, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 in Ostrava to put the Czechs through. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Stepanek in Friday's opening singles, overcame Jan Hernych 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 in the fifth rubber but it was too late. A fighting, five-set win by Harel Levy over Andreas Vinciguerra put Israel through to the last eight for only the second time. American Andy Roddick lived up to his nickname “The Closer” in Birmingham, Alabama, overcoming Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland's top player in the absence of the injured Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the first reverse singles. World number six Roddick now has an 11-0 record when given the opportunity to clinch a Davis Cup tie. The US won its tie 4-1. In Thailand, Australia survived a tough Davis Cup test against Thailand, clinching the tie 3-2 despite Lleyton Hewitt losing his rubber. Australia will face India for the right to contest a playoff in September to return to the prestigious World Group after the Indians overcame Taiwan, also 3-2. In Osaka, Japan thrashed China 5-0 in the second round of their Davis Cup tennis Asia-Oceania zone Group One tie Sunday.
