Russia, seeking the first victory over the United States in Davis Cup, comfortably won both of their singles matches on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in their semi-final.
Marat Safin overpowered Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 in the opening rubber on the Moscow clay before Mikhail Youzhny prevailed over James Blake 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 to put the home side within one victory from the final.
The Russians lost both of their previous ties against the US, including the 1995 Moscow final on a similar surface.
"Hopefully, we can also win the doubles tomorrow and finish the tie in two days," a confident Safin told reporters after his victory.
Despite facing a huge uphill battle on their least favourable surface, the Americans were also upbeat.
"In most tournaments you don't get a second chance, in Davis Cup you do," said Roddick. "This isn't over by any means."
What was billed as a battle between the two former world number ones turned into a mis-match after Safin broke Roddick's formidable serve four times. The big-hitting Russian also fired 17 aces, 10 more than his opponent.
"He just played much better than I did," Roddick told a news conference.
"I don't know if I had my best stuff today but you have to give him credit, he served well and played better than me."
Urged on by a partisan home crowd, Safin broke the US Open finalist in the seventh game to clinch the first set after 32 minutes.
Roddick saved three break points in the third game of the second set but Safin earned the vital break two games later with a beautifully executed lob before breaking the American again in the ninth game to take a two-set lead.
COMMANDING VICTORY
Safin served for the match at 5-3 in the third set but Roddick broke back to force a tiebreak.
After going down 5-2 in the tiebreak, Safin won the next five points to seal a deserving victory.
"I didn't want to go into the fourth set, I wanted to finish it in three and save myself some energy," Safin said.
Youzhny also had the upper hand against the eighth-ranked Blake on a slow surface at Moscow's Olympic Sports Complex.
"I don't know if I had my best stuff today but you have to give him credit, he served well and played better than me."
Urged on by a partisan home crowd, Safin broke the US Open finalist in the seventh game to clinch the first set after 32 minutes.
Roddick saved three break points in the third game of the second set but Safin earned the vital break two games later with a beautifully executed lob before breaking the American again in the ninth game to take a two-set lead.
"It's always easier to play being up 1-0, so Marat's victory has helped me to relax and feel more comfortable on the court," said Youzhny, who clinched Russia's their maiden Davis Cup title in 2002.
The Americans have been uphappy with a slow clay surface at the Olympic Sports Complex but Roddick made no excuses.
"It's not the greatest (surface) but he played on the same court as I did," said the Texan.
"I gave myself a chance to come back in the third set but I just didn't convert it."
Safin dismissed the visitors' complaints about the court.
"Yes, the court wasn't perfect, it was uneven and had some holes in it but what do you expect?" he said.
"We're playing at home, so we can chose the most suitable surface for us. If we came to America we would probably be playing on a grass court which would look more like a potato field.
"Roddick was going crazy about the court all week but that's his problems."
The winners will face either Argentina or Australia, who meet in the other semi-final in Buenos Aires, in the December final.
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