Serbia stormed into the Davis Cup quarter-finals by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead over Croatia as last-minute replacement Novak Djokovic teamed up with Nenad Zimonjic to win the doubles rubber Saturday.
Djokovic, standing in for Viktor Troicki, and Zimonjic convincingly defeated Croatia’s Franko Skugor and Marin Draganja 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
“We wanted to finish the job today, to take advantage of the fact that we won the first singles, and that was done,” Djokovic said.
“Being 2-0 up after the opening day was a massive confidence boost and we did everything right today, from the first to the last point.
“We decided that I should come in for Viktor because that was the best combination in this moment.”
Serbian coach Bogdan Obradovic had said he decided to rest Troicki after his three-hour victory over Croatian teenager Borna Coric on Friday, when he fought back from two sets down to prevail.
Djokovic had easily beaten Mate Delic to give the 2010 winners a 2-0 lead over the Croatians, who were without US Open winner Marin Cilic because of his shoulder injury.
It was Serbia’s first doubles win after four successive defeats, all involving Zimonjic, 38.
He last tasted victory when he teamed up with Ilija Bozoljac to beat Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States in the 2013 quarter-finals, the year the Serbs finished runners-up to the Czech Republic.
Serbia will take on the winners of the Brazil v Argentina tie, which was locked at 1-1 ahead of yesterday’s doubles match.
Also through to the last eight of the competition are France, who completed a 3-0 triumph over Germany thanks to Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut’s doubles victory.
The pair defeated Benjamin Becker and Andre Begemann 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to give 2014 runners-up France an unassailable lead.
The French will find out today if it will be Great Britain or the United States who they will face in July for a spot in the semi-finals, with Britain 2-1 up.
The Americans kept their hopes alive as the Bryan brothers survived a fightback from British pair Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot to triumph 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7, 9-7.
The United States will have to win both singles matches today, with John Isner, who lost in five sets to the world No 111 Jamie Ward on Friday, scheduled on court first against Andy Murray, the world No 5, who already has one win under his belt after defeating Donald Young. Defending champions Switzerland need to win both singles matches against Belgium today to keep their hopes of a successful title defence alive.
Belgian pairing Ruben Bemelmans and Niels Desein defeated Adrien Bossel and Michael Lammer 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to take the lead in the tie yesterday against the Swiss, who are without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, who had taken the Swiss to the title last November.
Australia missed a chance to seal their tie against the Czech Republic after Jiri Vesely and Adam Pavlasek beat Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth in a 1-6 7-6, 3-6 7-6, 6-2 to cut their lead to 2-1.
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