Australia and Italy clinch early wins

Australia and Italy clinch early wins

PARIS (Agencies): Australia and Italy made sure of their places in the Davis Cup quarter-finals 24 hours early on Saturday when victories in the doubles gave them unbeatable 3-0 leads.

In the Asia-Oceania Group tie between Indonesia and the Philippines, the visitors came from 0-2 defeat in the first two singles to 3-2 victory.

After winning Saturday's only match in the doubles, Indonesia's best doubles partnership, Bonit Wiryawan and Sulityo Wibowo, downed the Philippines' best hopes Pio Tolentino and Michael Misa in straight sets 6-1 6-4 6-0.

The relatively easy win enlightened Indonesia's hopes which were proved in the reverse singles Sunday.

Suwandi defeated Joseph Lizardo 6-2 1-6 6-3 5-7 6-2 to make the score level 2-2 before Bonit Wiryawan made a splendid comeback by beating Robert Angelo 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-1 6-3.

In the opening round of the tie Friday, Suwandi, making a return to the team after six months absence, fought a tough battle before crashing 6-7 6-7 3-6 to defeat by Angelo. Andrian Raturandang lost to Lizardo 4-6 7-5 5-7 2-6 in the second singles.

In Sydney, French resistance crumbled when Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge completed a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-3 win over Guy Forget and Guillaume Raoux.

Their victory piled added humiliation on the reigning champions who had never come to terms with the fast grass courts of the White City Stadium in the opening singles.

Italy also added a clinching third point against Mexico in Rome when Diego Nargiso and Stefano Pescosolido beat Leonardo Lavalle and Alejandro Hernandez 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.

Elsewhere the main surprises came in Brazil and the Czech Republic.

In Brazil the home side, who had been trailing the United States 0-2 after Friday's singles, kept their hopes alive by winning the doubles -- Gustavo Kuertenn and Jaime Oncins outplaying Richey Reneberg and Alex O'Brien 6-2, 6-4, 7-5.

And in the Czech Republic, India raised eyebrows by taking a 2-1 lead in the tie after winning the doubles on the slow clay surface -- Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, both more at home on grass, beating Martin Damm and Petr Korda 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 6-4

Germany and the Netherlands made up for their dreadful start on Friday by winning the doubles.

Marc-Kevin Goellner and David Prinosil pulled a point back against Spain in Mallorca when they defeated Carlos Costa and Alex Corretja 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

And Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh restored a measure of pride for the Dutch, who had lost both of Friday's singles against unfancied Rumania, by defeating Razvan Sabau and Ion Moldovan 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3

Rain prolonged Russian agony in South Africa.