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By Alberto Amalfi
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 18, 2010) The Davis Cup final will come complete with French flair. Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra thrilled French fans in Lyon, powering past Argentina's Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 to give the host an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Argentina and clinch France's first trip to the Davis Cup final since 2002.

France will face either the Czech Republic or Serbia in the December 3-5th Davis Cup final.

The Czech Republic holds a 2-1 lead over host Serbia in Belgrade and is one win removed from it's second straight trip to the final after Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek beat US Open finalist Novak Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1, staking the Czech Republic to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five match semifinal.

Clement and Llodra partnered to win the 2007 Wimbledon title, beating the Bryan brothers in the final. The pair joined forces in Davis Cup for the first time since 2008 and showcased their fast hands at net in seizing the opening set on a rapid-fire volley point.

France played without the injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and captain Guy Forget opted to play the 32-year-old Clement rather than Richard Gasquet. The move paid off as France advanced to the final.

"I am very proud, they're all here together, the seven of them, those who played and those who also contributed to this victory," Forget said. "There is still a great tie to be played."

The combination of Clement's flat, fast returns and left-hander Llodra's crisp volleys proved too much for Argentina, which fell behind 2-5 in the third set.

The vocal Argentine fans, waving the country's flag, exhorted Schwank and Zeballos to fight back. They gained one game before France closed the door.

France swept defending Davis Cup champion Spain, which was without World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, in the July quarterfinals. France has won nine consecutive Davis Cup matches, a streak that dates back to its 4-1 win over Germany in the opening round.

 
FRANCE defeated ARGENTINA 3-0
Venue: Palais des Sports de Gerland, Lyon , France (hard - indoors)
 
Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Juan Monaco (ARG) 75 46 75 63
Gael Monfils (FRA) d. David Nalbandian (ARG) 64 26 64 63
Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Eduardo Schwank/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 64 75 63
Gael Monfils (FRA) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Michael Llodra (FRA) v David Nalbandian (ARG)
 
CZECH REPUBLIC leads SERBIA 2-1
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade , Serbia (hard - indoors)
 
Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Viktor Troicki (SRB) 46 62 64 64
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) d. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 75 62 26 76(5)
Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Novak Djokovic/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) 36 61 64 61
Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Janko Tiparevic (SRB) v Radek Stepanek (CZE)
 
 
WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS
 
COLOMBIA level with USA 1-1
Venue: Plaza de Toros La Santamaria, Bogota , Colombia (clay – outdoors)
 
Mardy Fish ( USA ) d. Alejandro Falla ( COL ) 46 61 64 36 64
Santiago Giraldo ( COL ) d. Sam Querrey ( USA ) 62 64 75
Robert Farah/Carlos Salamanca (COL) v Mardy Fish/John Isner (USA)
Santiago Giraldo (COL) v Mardy Fish (USA)
Alejandro Falla (COL) v Sam Querrey (USA)
 
* ISRAEL leads AUSTRIA 2-1
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv , Israel (hard – indoors)
 
Dudi Sela (ISR) d. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 64 61 63
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Harel Levy (ISR) 64 63 63
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) d. Jurgen Melzer/Alexander Peya (AUT) 76(2) 64 64
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Harel Levy (ISR) v v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
 
* being played 16, 17, 19 September
 
GERMANY defeated SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Venue: TC Weissenhof Stuttgart, Stuttgart , Germany (clay – outdoors)
 
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Rik de Voest (RSA) 64 64 64
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Izak van der Merwe (RSA) 63 36 61 76(6)
Andreas Beck/Christopher Kas (GER) d. Rik de Voest/Wesley Moodie (RSA) 64 36 63 64
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Izak van der Merwe (RSA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Rik de Voest (RSA)
 
SWEDEN leads ITALY 2-1
Venue: Sparbanken Lidkoping Arena, Lidkoping, Sweden (hard – indoors)
 
Potito Starace (ITA) d. Andreas Vinciguerra (SWE) 62 62 62
Robin Soderling (SWE) d. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 61 63 62
Simon Aspelin/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) d. Simone Bolelli/Potito Starace (ITA) 57 67(0) 76(4) 63 75
Robin Soderling (SWE) v Potito Starace (ITA)
Andreas Vinciguerra (SWE) v Fabio Fognini (ITA)
 
BRAZIL leads INDIA 2-1
Venue: SDAT Tennis Stadium, Chennai , India (hard – outdoors)
 
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) d. Rohan Bopanna ( IND ) 67(2) 76(7) 75 46 108
Ricardo Mello (BRA) d. Somdev Devvarman ( IND ) 46 62 67(3) 62 64
Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes ( IND ) d. Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA) 64 76(5) 61
Somdev Devvarman (IND) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Rohan Bopanna (IND) v Ricardo Mello (BRA)
 
AUSTRALIA leads BELGIUM 2-1
Venue: Cairns Regional Tennis Centre, Cairns , Australia (hard – outdoors)
 
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 76(4) 75 26 64
Olivier Rochus (BEL) d. Carsten Ball (AUS) 64 64 76(5)
Paul Hanley/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d. Ruben Bemelmans/Olivier Rochus (BEL) 61 62 64
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Carsten Ball (AUS) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
 
KAZAKHSTAN defeated SWITZERLAND 3-0
Venue: The National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan (hard – indoors)
 
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) d. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) 64 64 64
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) d. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 36 61 64 16 63
Andrey Golubev/Yuriy Schukin (KAZ) d. Yves Allegro/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 64 63 63
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)
 
ROMANIA defeated ECUADOR 3-0
Venue: Centrul National de Tenis, Bucharest, Romania (clay – outdoors)
 
Victor Hanescu (ROU) d. Ivan Endara (ECU) 62 62 62
Adrian Ungur (ROU) d. Giovanni Lapentti (ECU) 67(2) 46 63 64 61
Victor Hanescu/Horia Tecau (ROU) d. Ivan Endara/Giovanni Lapentti (ECU) 62 62 62
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
Adrian Ungur (ROU) v Ivan Endara (ECU)
 
 
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFFS
 
SLOVAK REPUBLIC leads BELARUS 2-1
Venue: Republic Olympic Training Center for Tennis, Minsk, Belarus (hard – outdoors)
 
Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) d. Martin Klizan (SVK) 76(9) 62 62
Lukas Lacko (SVK) d. Siarhei Betau (BLR) 60 64 64
Michael Mertinak/Filip Polasek (SVK) d. Uladzimir Ignatik/Max Mirnyi (BLR) 76(5) 76(6) 36 46 64
Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) v Lukas Lacko (SVK)
Siarhei Betau (BLR) v Martin Klizan (SVK)
 
POLAND leads LATVIA 2-1
Venue: Olympic Sports Centre, Riga, Latvia (carpet – indoors)
 
Michal Przysiezny (POL) d. Andis Juska (LAT) 63 64 64
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) d. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 64 64 36 62
Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL) d. Andis Juska/Deniss Pavlovs (LAT) 63 64 76(4)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) v Michael Przysieszny (POL)
Andis Juska (LAT) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
 
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
 
CANADA leads DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2-0
Venue: Rexall Centre - Grandstand Court, Toronto, Canada (hard – outdoors)
 
Peter Polansky (CAN) d. Jhonson Garcia (DOM) 76(4) 46 63 63
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Victor Estrella (DOM) 57 62 36 76(3) 97
Frank Dancevic/Daniel Nestor (CAN) v Victor Estrella/Jhonson Garcia (DOM)
Peter Polansky (CAN) v Victor Estrella (DOM)
Milos Raonic (CAN) v Jhonson Garcia (DOM)
 
 
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
 
KOREA, REP. leads PHILIPPINES 2-1
Venue: Chanwon Municipal Tennis Courts, Changwon , Korea , Rep. (hard – outdoors)
 
Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) d. Treat Huey (PHI) 67(8) 62 76(7) 76(4)
Suk-Young Jeong (KOR) d. Cecil Mamiit (PHI) 06 16 63 60 62
Cecil Mamiit / Treat Huey (PHI) d. Hyun-Joon Kim/Jae-Min Seol (KOR) 63 64 64
Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) v Cecil Mamiit (PHI)
Suk-Young Jeong (KOR) v Treat Huey (PHI)
 
 
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II THIRD ROUND
 
LITHUANIA leads SLOVENIA 2-1
Venue: SEB Arena, Vilnius , Lithuania (hard - indoors)
 
Richard Berankis (LTU) d. Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 36 62 76(9) 64
Grega Zemlja (SLO) d. Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) 63 76(4) 63
Richard Berankis/Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) d. Grega Zemla/Luka Gregorc (SLO) 57 46 61 63 63
Richard Berankis (LTU) v Grega Zemlja (SLO)
Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) v Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
 
PORTUGAL level with BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 1-1
Venue: Centro de Tenis Do Jamor, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal (clay – outdoors)
 
Frederico Gil (POR) d. Amer Delic (BIH) 63 64 67(14) 36 97
Aldin Setkic (BIH) d. Rui Machado (POR) 64 63 16 61
Frederico Gil/Leonardo Tavares (POR) v Amer Delic/Aldin Setkic (BIH)
Frederico Gil (POR) v Aldin Setkic (BIH)
Rui Machado (POR) v Amer Delic (BIH)
 
 
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II FINAL
 
MEXICO leads VENEZUELA 2-0
Venue: Rafael El Pelon Osuna, Delg. Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico (clay – outdoors)
 
Daniel Garza (MEX) d. Roman Recarte (VEN) 62 62 62
Cesar Ramirez (MEX) d. Jose De Armas (VEN) 61 63 63
Bruno Rodriguez/Miguel Angel Reyes Varela (MEX) v Jose De Armas/Piero Luisi (VEN)
Daniel Garza (MEX) v Jose De Armas (VEN)
Cesar Ramirez (MEX) v Roman Recarte (VEN)
 
 
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II FINAL
 
NEW ZEALAND leads THAILAND 2-1
Venue: National Tennis Development Centre (LTAT), Nontheburi , Thailand (hard – outdoors)
 
Michael Venus (NZL) d. Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) 63 62 76(1)
Jose Statham (NZL) d. Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) 46 76(5) 61 76(2)
Sanchai Ratiwatana/Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) d. Daniel King-Turner/Michael Venus (NZL) 06 67(6) 60 63 64
Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) v Michael Venus (NZL)
Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) v Jose Statham (NZL)