Italy Upsets Russia in Davis Cup, 3-2

COMBINED REPORTS


LONDON -- In a huge upset, Italy knocked out Russia, last year's runner-up, in the first round of play in the Davis Cup world group.


Renzo Furlan defeated Andrei Chesnokov 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Sunday's deciding singles, a match played in near-freezing temperatures and interrupted by rain, to secure a 3-2 win for Italy and a place in the quarterfinals.


Yevgeny Kafelnikov had earlier pulled Russia level at 2-2 with a win over Andrea Gaudenzi in the first reverse singles on the clay court of Rome's Foro Italico.


Elsewhere, defending champion United States began a quest for another title by completing a sweep of Mexico in Carlsbad, California.


"The weather is awful but the moment is wonderful," Furlan said after his win in a match held up by the rain for nearly two hours in the third set. "It was a tough victory against an opponent who gave nothing away."


Chesnokov was Russia's hero last September when he survived nine match points against former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich to carry Russia into the final at the expense of Germany.


But he had a wretched weekend in Rome, squandering a two-set lead to lose Friday's opening singles to Gaudenzi and succumbing in Sunday's decisive match to Furlan, who was cheered on by a 2,000-strong crowd at the windswept Foro Italica clay court.


Kafelnikov won his opening singles against Furlan on Friday, but he and Andrei Olhovskiy were beaten by Diego Nargiso and Gaudenzi on Saturday in five sets. The Italians came back from 2-1 down to win 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.


Chesnokov, 88th in the world rankings, recovered from a whitewash in the first set to take the second, and the match was nicely poised at 4-3 in the third set when a heavy downpour forced the players off court for about two hours.


Furlan, ranked 29th in the world, returned to his task with determination after the break and quickly wrapped up the third set. The fourth set produced seven breaks of service before the Italian finally won the match nine minutes short of three hours.


"The fact that he began the game so badly lulled me into a false sense of security. But in the break I had time to relax a bit and get myself together," Furlan said.


India upset the Netherlands 3-2 in Jaipur after Dutchman Jacco Eltingh injured a knee and was forced to concede the deciding match.


Eltingh twisted his knee during the first set of the second reverse singles against Mahesh Bhupathi. He struggled on and won the second set but retired in the fourth to lose 7-6, 4-6, 7-5, 2-1.


The United States, Germany, France and the Czech Republic completed 5-0 wins over Mexico, Switzerland, Denmark and Hungary respectively. Sweden dropped a dead-rubber singles match to Belgium Sunday to win 4-1.


For the United States, Michael Chang, who started the sweep by beating Leonardo Lavalle on Friday, beat Mexico's Alejandro Hernandez 6-0, 6-1 and Todd Martin scored a 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 comeback win over Lavalle.


South Africa and Austria could not complete their tie in the usual three days and were to resume battle on an indoor court Monday after heavy rain left their grass court waterlogged Sunday.


The tie stood at 1-1 with the doubles unfinished after Sunday's play.


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(For other results, see Scorecard.)