BREMEN, Germany, April 11 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer gave Spain a 2-0 lead over Germany Friday in their Davis Cup quarterfinal matchup in Bremen, Germany.
Nadal, the No. 2 player in the latest world rankings, beat Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, 6-3 in the opener. Ferrer rallied against Philipp Kohlschreiber for a 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory.
Kohlschreiber required on-court treatment for his back and leg muscles during the second set. He is scheduled to team up with Philipp Petzschner in a Saturday doubles match against Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez.
By winning Friday's matches, Spain needs one win in the next two days to advance to the semifinals.
The Spain-Germany winner faces either France or the United States in the semifinals in September.
In other early results, Russia and the Czech Republic are tied 1-1 and the same score applies to the Sweden-Argentina tilt.
