OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- Davis Cup holders Russia took a 2-1 lead against the Czech Republic in their first round tie after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Mikhail Youzhny overcame Martin Damm and Cyril Suk 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday.

Former singles world No. 1 Kafelnikov and Youzhny, playing their first doubles match together, took two hours, 44 minutes to defeat the Czech duo in Ostrava's indoor clay court Vitkovice Arena.

With Russian No. 1 Marat Safin sidelined with a wrist injury, the win gave the visitors an important psychological edge going into Sunday's reverse singles.

Having split the first two sets, the Russians moved up a gear in the third to stamp their authority on the match.

They broke Suk's serve twice in the set and hammered several superb winners across the net to leave the Czechs in disarray before sweeping to victory.

Kafelnikov said he and his team-mate managed to hold their nerves and fight off the Czech duo when it mattered most.

"There were perhaps two decisive moments. The first was to win the third set while the other one was to break Martin Damm's serve to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth," said Kafelnikov.

"The team which played the match more consistently on important points won," added the 28-year-old.

He also heaped praise on Youzhny, who helped Russia to their first Davis Cup title by coming back from two-sets-to-love down to win the deciding match against France in December.

"He is very different than the other players... a very good competitor. He has a bright future," Kafelnikov said of the 20-year-old.

France 3, Romania 0
BUCHAREST -- Australian Open winners Fabrice Santoro and Michael Llodra showed their class in beating Romania's Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 to give France a winning 3-0 lead in the first round of the Davis Cup on Saturday.

The victory meant France, runners-up to Russia last year, will face either Netherlands or Switzerland in the world group quarter-finals in April.

"We played well from the start to the end. We knew that if we were good we would beat them," a jubilant Santoro said.

Llodra added: "We had the chance to play well and give to our team the winning points. We (had) prepared very carefully for the match and eventually we managed to beat a good Romanian team."

Sebastien Grosjean and Nicolas Escude had put the 2001 champions in the driving seat on Friday by winning both of their opening singles matches.

Santoro and Llodra were determined to wrap up the tie on Saturday and dictated play from the start.

The French duo relentlessly attacked their opponents from the net, hitting acute angled winners to leave the Romanian pair frustrated time and again.

The result left Romania without a set from the three matches played in the tie so far.

Argentina 3, Germany 0
BUENOS AIRES -- Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian and partner Lucas Arnold came from two sets to one down to win the doubles and give Argentina an unassailable 3-0 lead over Germany in their Davis Cup tie on Saturday.

The Argentine pair beat Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler and Michael Kohlmann 6-1, 0-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in just short of 3½ hours to clinch the world group first-round tie.

Argentina will meet title holders Russia or the Czech Republic at home on their favoured clay courts at the River Plate stadium in the quarter-finals.

Nalbandian said he would like to meet the Russians to avenge Argentina's semi-final defeat in Moscow last year.

"We'd like to play against Russia to take revenge for what happened to us there last year," he said.

Schuettler, beaten in three sets by Gaston Gaudio in their singles on Friday, was not initially due to play the doubles but Germany's captain Patrik Kuhnen changed his plans and he replaced David Prinosil.

"It was a difficult decision and I took it on Friday night," Kuhnen said. "I opted for those who were best in the practices and as we were 2-0 down I wanted to make up the best possible (doubles) partnership."

Australia 3, Britain 0
SYDNEY -- Australia have taken an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Britain in their first round Davis Cup tie after winning the doubles on Saturday.

The victory gives Australia a quarter-final berth against either Sweden or Brazil.

World No. 1 singles player Lleyton Hewitt and doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge took two hours to beat the unheralded combination of Miles Maclagan and Arvind Parmar 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Maclagan and Parmar were part of an under-strength British team patched together to replace the injured Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis swept to comfortable victories in their opening singles rubbers played on Friday on the clay court venue at Sydney's Olympic Park.

Hewitt, ranked 221 in doubles, said he was still coming to grips with playing the doubles, which is all important under the Davis Cup format.

"I am not as comfortable on the doubles court as the singles, obviously," the 21 year old said. "It's tough to enjoy."

Also
Host Spain took an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Belgium by winning the doubles match. Alex Corretja and Albert Costa beat Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 8-6. .... Gustavo Kuerten and Andre Sa gave Brazil a 2-1 edge over Sweden with a five-set win over Jonas Bjorkman and Magnus Larsson in the doubles match of their Davis Cup world group first round tie on Saturday. The Brazilians won 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 after the Swedes seemed to run out of steam in the final set. ... Paul Haarhuis and Martin Verkerk gave the Netherlands a 2-1 lead over Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup on Saturday by winning a tense doubles encounter against Roger Federer and George Bastl. The Dutch pair won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 with Haarhuis's powerful serve and Verkerk's deft volleying putting the Swiss under constant pressure.