Belarus continue to impress

Spain and Belarus took a firm grip of their Davis Cup quarter-finals, both racing to a 2-0 lead after yesterday's opening singles.

While Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya helped Spain to live up to their billing as favourites with easy victories over the Netherlands, World Group debutants Belarus capitalised on the absence of Argentina's two top players in Minsk.

Switzerland and France were locked at 1-1 in Lausanne after world number one Roger Federer swept past Nicolas Escude 6-2 6-4 6-4 before Arnaud Clement drew the visitors level with a 6-3 6-3 6-2 win over Ivo Heuberger.

France are bidding to avenge their defeat by Switzerland at the same stage last year. The winners look certain to play Spain, last year's finalists, in the last four.

Moya secured a confident 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory over Martin Verkerk, the man who beat him in the quarter-finals of last year's French Open, while world number three Ferrero cruised to a 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory over Raemon Sluiter in a converted bullring in Palma.

Ferrero hit form from the start, easily holding serve and putting Sluiter under pressure with his whiplash returns.

Rafael Nadal can clinch the tie for Spain with Tommy Robredo against John van Lottum and Verkerk in today's doubles.

Argentina, without top players Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian, struggled from the start as Agustin Calleri and Guillermo Canas failed to come to terms with the fast carpet surface chosen by the hosts.

Vladimir Voltchkov, the architect of Belarus' surprise first-round victory over Russia, upset the form book to beat Calleri 6-3 6-4 6-2 while Belarussian number one Max Mirnyi charged to a 6-2 6-2 6-2 win over Canas.

Belarus are now well placed to face either Sweden or United States in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile in Euro/Africa Zone 1 Group I, Tim Henman hauled Britain out of a hole in Luxembourg yesterday as another shattering Davis Cup defeat for Arvind Parmar briefly saw the nation trailing to the home side.

But Henman came to the rescue with a straight sets win over Gilles Kremer to tie the opening day of the match.

Parmar was preferred to the returning Greg Rusedski by debuting captain Jeremy Bates but failed to capitalise on his chances and fell to a fluctuating 4-6 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-4 defeat against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller.