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Doubles upset Balcells, Corretja give Spain 2-1 lead
BARCELONA, Spain (CNN/SI) -- The doubles team of Alex Corretja and Juan Balcells on Saturday put Spain one victory away from its first Davis Cup title. History is heavily on Spain's side in the best-of-five tie after the 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 upset over Australians Sandon Stolle and Mark Woodforde before a 14,000 sellout crowd at raucous Palau Sant Jordi. In the last 22 Davis Cup finals, the team that won doubles has claimed the 101-year-old silver, two-tiered cup. The last time it didn't happen was 1977 when Italy won its doubles match but lost to Australia. Spain, always with the upper hand in the match and the crowd cheering "Espana, Espana," got the winning point when Stolle netted a forehand return. On Friday, Lleyton Hewitt defeated Albert Costa 3-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a 4 hour 10 minute marathon, and Juan Carlos Ferrero won over Pat Rafter 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) 6-2, 3-1 with the Australian retiring with cramping in his forearm, thigh and hip. The big question is Sunday's singles pairings with defending champion Australia trying for its 28th title. Ferrero is scheduled in the first singles against Hewitt with Costa facing Rafter in the second match. Spanish captain Javier Duarte is expected to substitute Alex Corretja for either Costa or Ferrero, which he can do under a new rule this year in Davis play. The favored crowd matchup would be Corretja against the fiery Hewitt. Corretja called Hewitt "immature" after he beat him in three sets recently at the Masters Cup in Lisbon. However, Durate has hinted he may play Ferrero against Hewitt and save Corretja for Rafter. Spain has lost two Davis Cup finals - both to Australia in the 1960s on grass. The Spaniards also lost another Davis tie against Australia almost 80 years ago. Rafter said he expected to be ready Sunday although he skipped Saturday's match and stayed in hotel room to watch it on TV. "I'm going to get some treatment and I look forward to coming out on Sunday," he said. "It's not over yet ... but still I don't know why this happened." Balcells and Corretja, both natives of Barcelona, got massive crowd support with the cheering, hissing and jeering often drowning out a corp of 10 drummers and cymbal players. Spain charged ahead and won the first set in 41 minutes, breaking the Australians in the first game on a winning backhand by Corretja. Spain held serve in the set but needed three set points before it closed out Australia 6-4 as Stolle netted a forehand. Balcells and Corretja, always on the offensive, let five break points slip away in the fifth game of the second set. Both teams were broken in the next two games. Australia broke Spain to love on a winning Stolle backhand volley to lead 4-2, and minutes later Spain answered as Woodforde's forehand volley went wide for 4-3. Spain broke again to lead 5-4 when Stolle netted a backhand volley off a searing Corretja backhand from the baseline. The Spaniards held their serve to close out the set with Balcells, falling to the dusty red clay, returning a forehand off a wicked overhand forehand from Woodforde. Australia, as it did much of the day, couldn't capitalize when it had clear chances. In the third set, Stolle and Woodforde let three break points get away in the fourth game. Spain, up two break points in the seventh game of the set, broke the Aussie to lead 4-3 as Woodforde netted a backhand volley at the net and then tossed his racket 20 feet (7 meters) across the court, raising dust near the feet of Australian captain John Newcombe. The Aussies broke right back, taking advantage as Balcells netted a key volley, then jumped over the cord and slammed his racket into the net. Spain answered and broke Australia again in the next game. Again Woodforde couldn't handle a blistering volley at the net with Balcells kicking the ball high into the air to celebrate the pending victory as Spain led 5-4.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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