INQUIRER Sports

MARBELLA – Spain regained the lead in their Davis Cup quarterfinal against Germany after Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco defeated Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 in Saturday's doubles.

The defending champions now have a 2-1 lead against Germany and are one win away from reaching back-to-back Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 2004.

"The reality is that I believe we were justified in winning because we were better," Feliciano Lopez told public television TVE after the match.

Spain led 5-2 in the second set but the German duo staged a comeback on the red clay court set in the middle of a bullring in Marbella, forcing a tiebreak.

Spain looked set to win the third but Zverev and his more experienced partner Kiefer once again rallied, forcing another tiebreak. The second game of the fourth set ended when Zverev sent a forehand wide.

Sunday's reverse singles pit Verdasco, who is filling in for world number one Rafael Nadal who has a knee injury, against Philipp Kohlschreiber and Tommy Robredo against Andreas Beck.

"I feel fine, on the court I am fine, let's see how I feel when I get up tomorrow," ninth-ranked Verdasco said when asked about his form for Sunday's match after having already played for a total of over six hours in two days.