Spain up 2-0 in Davis Cup semifinals

MURCIA, Spain, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero cruised to wins over Israeli players Friday, boosting Spain within one victory of the Davis Cup finals.

Ferrer needed less than two hours in topping Harel Levy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and Ferrero was even more impressive in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 rout of Dudi Sela in putting Spain up 2-0 in the best-of-five Davis Cup series in Murcia, Spain.

A win in Saturday's doubles match -- in which Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo are to play Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram -- or either of Sunday's reverse singles matches would put Spain in the Davis Cup finals for the seventh time overall and fourth time in seven years.

Spain won the Davis Cup title last year. Israel had never before advanced to the semifinals.

The winner of the Israel-Spain semifinal will meet the survivor of a series that the Czech Republic is playing in Croatia for the 98th Davis Cup championship. The 2009 final is scheduled for Dec. 4-6.