Former champions Great Britain have rallied from losing the first rubber to end Day 2 with a critical 2-1 lead against France in their Quarterfinal tie. Elsewhere Argentina and Belgium set up a semi-final show down after knocking out 2010 Champions Serbia and Canada with a unassaliable 3-0 lead. In the 4th quarterfinal, former champions Australia have lived to fight another day with a straight sets win in the doubles rubber. Kazhakhstan still leads Australia 2-1 at the end of Day 2 of the 2015 Davis Cup (by BNP Paribas) quarter-final ties.

Here are the results at the completion of the doubles on day 2 :

London (England)

France 1 Great Britain 2 : World no. 12 Giles Simon who reached the last eight at Wimbledon got the visitors off to a flying start with an easy win over James Ward but the World number three Andy Murray levelled the tie for the hosts at 1-1 going into the all important doubles on Saturday at the Queen’s Club in London.

France were expected to field the Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet and Nicolas Mahut against Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in the doubles. Both the teams made last minute changes to have Tsonga/Mahut on court against the Murray brothers. Though the French team got off to a good start, Andy Murray and Jamie played well enough to clinch the critical doubles rubber which means that Andy Murray will have a chance to see Britain through to the last four in the first match on Sunday.

Giles Simon d. James Ward 6-4,6-4,6-1.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga lost to Andy Murray 5-7,6-7(10),2-6.

Andy Murray/Jamie Murray d. Jo Wilfried Tsonga/Nicolas Mahut  4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1

Darwin (Australia)

Kazakhstan 2 Australia 1 : The Australian Special “K” duo of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios got a taste of Davis Cup pressure as they both went down to Mikhail Kukushkin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov respectively on the grass courts of the Marrara Sporting Complex in Darwin. World number 63 Kukushkin was too strong for the 19 year old Kokkinakis making his Davis Cup debut while Kyrgios also fell in four sets to the little known Aleksandr Nedovyesov.

The hosts had to then, rely on the 2002 Wimbledon champion and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt as he paired up with Sam Groth against the pairing of Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov. Hewitt and Groth played with an intensity that has been the trademark of Hewitt’s resplendent career. Though the match started on a nervous note from both teams, Hewitt and Groth soon took control of the match and put up a fine display of tennis that should serve as a wonderful lesson for the young Aussies who lost their way in the opening exchanges of this tie.

Australia will now try to win a Davis Cup tie from 2-0 down for the first time since the 1939 Davis Cup final (against USA)

Milhail Kukushkin d. Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4,6-3,6-3.

Aleksandr Nedovyesov d. Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5),6-7(2),7-6(5),6-4.

Hewitt/Groth d. Golubev/Nedovyesov 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Argentina 3 Serbia 0 :
The 2010 champions Serbia missed the services of the world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic as the hosts Argentina knocked out the Serbians 3-0 on the clay courts of Tecnopolis complex. World number 22 Leonardo Mayer who had won the longest match in the history of the davis cup in the first round against Brazil wasted little time in dispatching Filip Krajinovic while left hander Federico Delbonis overcame nerves and a two set deficit to get the better of Victor Troicki in five dramatic sets.

Mayer then teamed with Carlos Berlocq to seal the tie for the hosts as they took down the veteran Nenad Zimonjic and Troicki in straight sets in the doubles. Argentina will now travel to Belgium to play the semifinals later this year.

Leonardo Mayer d. Filip Krajinovic 6-4,6-2,6-1

Frederico Delbonis d. Victor Troicki 2-6,2-6,6-4,6-4,6-2.

Mayer/Berlocq d Troicki/Zimonjic 6-2, 6-4, 6-1

Middlekerk (Belgium)

Belgium 3 Canada 0 : Belgium have taken an undefeatable 3-0 lead against a depleted Canada as they won both the singles rubbers and the doubles tie on the clay courts of the Sportpark Krokodiel. Canada are without the services of world number Seven Milos Raonic and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Vasek Pospisil and had to rely heavily on the 42 year old veteran left hander Daniel Nestor and Adil Shamasdin to pull one back against Ruben Bemelmans and Kimmer Coppejans. Unfortunately for the Canadians, it was not to be and the Belgians booked a slot in the semifinals of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1999.

Steve Darcis d. Frank Dancevic 3-6,6-1,7-5,6-3

David Goffin d. Filip Peliwo 6-4,6-4,6-2.

Bemelmans/Coppejans d Nestor/Shamasdin 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

– Rasesh Mehta [Rasesh Mehta is an analyst with the Tennis Galaxy.You can reach him at the email: sportzcosmos@gmail.com]