David Ferrer crushed Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 to fire the depleted champions Spain into the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup yesterday and set up a clash away to the nine-time winners, France.
Ferrer's victory in the first-round tie in Logrono gave Spain, who were missing injury casualties Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and Juan Carlos Ferrero, an unbeatable 3-1 lead in their bid for a third consecutive title.
Mikhail Youzhny booked Russia's place in the last eight when he thrashed India's Somdev Devvarman 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 in Moscow en route to a 3-2 win. The 2006 champions will next face Sweden or Argentina.
France, the 2009 finalists Czech Republic and the 2005 winners Croatia all progressed 3-0 on Saturday, against Germany, Belgium and Ecuador respectively.
Ferrer, the world No 16, took the first set on the clay, before Wawrinka stormed back to open a 4-1 lead in the second.
But the Spaniard reeled off five games in a row and Wawrinka lost his cool at 5-4 down, smashing his racket into the ground and incurring a point penalty.
The Swiss fell to pieces in the third set in the face of some brilliant play from Ferrer that delighted the boisterous red and yellow-clad Spanish fans.
"Playing here in front of your fans is the greatest thing for a tennis player," Ferrer said.
"The match against France will be a tough hurdle but I think we have the squad to keep this run going."
The Czechs will play Chile or Israel in July's quarter-finals, while Croatia will take on the United States or Serbia.
The tie between Chile and Israel in Coquimbo was rescheduled to start on Saturday because of the disruption caused by last weekend's earthquake and the Chileans took both points in the opening singles for a 2-0 lead going into the doubles.
* With agencies
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
More on Quran memorisation:
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
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