Tursunov beats Gasquet to send Russia into semis

PAU, France, Apr 9 (Reuters) Dogged Dmitry Tursunov today beat French teenager Richard Gasquet 6-1 3-6 6-7 6-3 7-5 to secure Russia a place in the Davis Cup semi-finals.

The Russians, who beat France to win the competition in 2002, will face either Chile or the United States in the last four. They also beat France in last year's quarter-finals.

Tursunov, who was standing in for injured Russian number one Nikolay Davydenko, edged past home favourite Gasquet after a see-saw three-hour, 25-minute tussle to give the visitors an unbridgeable 3-1 lead.

In the fifth rubber Mikhail Youzhny beat Michael Llodra 6-2 4-6 7-6 to wrap up a 4-1 quarter-final win for Russia.

''It would have been more difficult for me if I had not served so well,'' said Tursunov.

''It is hard to describe what I feel because I won the third point, the one sending us through. In Davis Cup, you play for the team and I'm happy to have done what the team was expecting me to do.'' Gasquet, 19, said: ''He played a great game even if I could have won. But he served extremely well and I gave everything.'' France captain Guy Forget added: ''I believed Richard could win until the end. Well done, Russia. We all gave our best. In six months or a year, we'll be better.

''But I'm a bit fed up to lose against the Russians.'' NERVOUS GASQUET Gasquet was a bundle of nerves at the start and dropped the first set in just 25 minutes, collapsing under a series of forehand winners by Tursunov.

The world number 16 regained his confidence to break the Russian, who is ranked 34, in the seventh game of the second set to level the match.

Both players held their serve in the third set and in the tiebreak Gasquet trailed 4-2 before securing five successive points to grab a 2-1 lead.

Tursunov then relaxed and outpowered his opponent to claim the fourth set in 29 minutes. He eventually broke Gasquet in the decider's 11th game after a thrilling exchange and won the game on his first match point.

Russia had opened out a 2-0 lead after Friday's singles.

Marat Safin, back from a seven-month injury layoff, outlasted Gasquet after a tense five-setter and Davydenko outfoxed Arnaud Clement in four sets.

France gave themselves hope when Llodra and Clement beat Tursunov and Youzhny in five sets in Saturday's doubles. But on Sunday Gasquet was too inexperienced to pull France level in the best-of-five tie.

France had not lost any of the four previous Davis Cup ties played in Pau.

Reuters VJ VP0040