Sweden has edge in tennis team tournament

DUSSELDORF, Germany, May 21 (UPI) -- Robin Soderling didn't lose a game Thursday in giving Sweden a 1-0 lead over Germany in the group's deciding series at the World Team Championship in Germany.

Germany and Sweden are both 2-0 in Red Group round-robin play, so their best-of-three series will decide which team advances to Saturday's title series.

Soderling gave the defending champion Swedes a solid start, losing only 16 points -- three on double faults -- in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Rainer Schuettler.

The series will be decided Friday with another singles match and a double match.

The United States defeated France 2-1 in a series between two teams already eliminated. Sam Querrey, who earlier won a singles match, teamed with Mardy Fish for a 2-6, 6-4, 10-7 win over Jeremy Chardy and Gilles Simon in the decisive doubles match.

Italy grabbed a 1-0 lead over Serbia and Argentina is ahead of Russia 1-0 in Blue Group play. The Blue standings have Serbia at 2-0 while Italy and Argentina are 1-1. The Russians are 0-2 and out. The group winner will be determined Friday.

On Thursday, Andreas Seppi put Italy up with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Viktor Troicki while Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro remained unbeaten in his career against Russia's Igor Andreev with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) win.