Croatia finish off US at expense of Blake

Porec, Croatia - Croatia chased the 32-times champion US out of the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals Sunday as Marin Cilic defeated James Blake 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 for a winning 3-1 scoreline. Blake's battering on indoor clay was the second defeat of the weekend for the 29-year-old who lost in the first round at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Croatia are the only team in the worldwide competition with a positive record against the Americans, having won all three of their ties in 2003, 2005 and at this Adriatic port resort. The US was trying to recover from 2-0 down for the first time since 1934 but failed spectacularly in the attempt as Blake fell apart. The Croatians will face off in the September 18-20 semi-finals with the benefit of another home crowd as they play the Czech Republic. Radek Stepanek, who suffered with an injury at Wimbledon, insured his team advanced into the final four at Ostrava as he completed a 3-2 weekend with a defeat of Juan Monaco 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-2. World number five Juan Del Potro had kept the visitors in the chase, his 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 knotting the score at 2-2. In Tel Aviv, outsider Israel solidified a dream weekend as the nation won into it's first-ever semi-final a day earlier over two-time champion Russia. Harel Levy completed 4-1 home scoreline, defeating Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) after Israeli Dudi Sela was forced to retire trailing Igor Andreev 4-3. At the Mediterranean city of Marbella, defending champion Spain stood 2-2 with Germany after national number two Philipp Kohlschreiber clawed the visitors back into the fight with a 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 2-6, 8-6 defeat of Fernando Verdasco, playing for his third straight day.