* Israel reach semis for first time
* U.S. stay in the hunt with doubles win
* Spain and Czechs edge ahead
By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich
leapt into each others arms after they guided Israel into the
Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time on Saturday.
Israel was the only team to seal a place in the last four
following the doubles, while the three other World Group ties
hung in the balance after day two of the men's team competition.
Ram and Erlich hung on for almost four hours to beat twice
former champions Russia following a thrilling 6-3 6-4 6-7 4-6
6-4 win over Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn in Tel Aviv.
In a year when Israeli tennis players have been barred from
playing in countries such as Dubai and forced to play Davis Cup
ties behind closed doors, as they were in Sweden, Eyal Ran's men
became the toast of the nation on Saturday.
"We are on the map again. You have made our people proud,"
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Bob and Mike Bryan kept the United States in the hunt for a
semi-final place with a 6-3 6-1 6-3 win over Croatian pair Roko
Karanusic and Lovro Zovko in Porec.
The Bryan brothers had to win the doubles to take the tie
into a third day after the U.S. came off second best in Friday's
epic singles matches, which both went to five sets.
"It's going to be a hard fought contest tomorrow... (to
come) back from losing 2-0," Mike Bryan told reporters.
The Czech Republic grabbed a 2-1 lead over 2008 runners-up
Argentina in Ostrava while champions Spain, who are having to
make do without injured world number two Rafael Nadal, also
nosed 2-1 ahead of Germany in Marbella.
CELEBRATORY HUDDLE
Israel's doubles win gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead and
sparked jubilant celebrations among the 11,000 fans crammed into
the Sports Palace arena to witness the momentous occasion.
While Ram and Erlich went into a celebratory huddle with the
rest of the Israeli camp at the end, Safin was left to reflect
on his last Davis Cup tie because the former world number one
will be retiring at the end of the year.
"Everybody has dreams but there are some you don't allow
yourself to have and beating Russia 3-0 was just like that...
but we have done it," a beaming Erlich said.
Ram added in a courtside interview: "For the first time I
have absolutely nothing to say... I started to cry like a little
boy."
No tears were shed in Marbella but Fernando Verdasco said he
was "super happy" after he and fellow left-hander Feliciano
Lopez handed Spain the psychological edge with a 6-3 7-6 6-7 6-3
win over Germany's Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev.
Despite the absence of Nadal, Spain will be confident of
winning one of Sunday's two reverse singles to secure a
semi-final date with Israel.
The Americans, champions a record 32 times, will be aiming
to have plenty to say on Sunday by winning both reverse singles
against hosts Croatia.
Without the services of world number six Andy Roddick, the
Americans will rely on James Blake and Mardy Fish to steer their
fortunes, with the winners meeting the Czechs or Argentina.
Tomas Berdych was drafted in at the last minute to partner
Radek Stepanek and Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil's gamble paid
off as his men beat Argentine hot-heads Jose Acasuso and
Leonardo Mayer 6-1 6-4 6-3.
The Argentines repeatedly argued with the umpire over line
calls and Mayer also turned his racket into a mangled wreck but
their emotional outbursts failed to have any effect on their
opponents, who kept their focus to win in just under two hours.
(Editing by Ken Ferris, To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
