Davis Cup wrap: US, Belgium through

Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson won their singles matches Sunday to complete the United States’ second straight Davis Cup sweep of Switzerland.

Querrey defeated Adrien Bossel 6-3 7-5 and then Johnson, who clinched the Americans’ victory Saturday in doubles with Jack Sock, won his singles debut beating Antoine Bellier 6-4 6-3.

The US won 5-0 and will travel to meet Australia in the World Group quarterfinals on 7-9 April.

Australia recorded a similarly decisive 4-1 win at Kooyong over the Czech Republic, the visitors missing Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek.

The US are 26-20 against Australia in a rivalry that dates back to 1905, winning their last meeting 3-1 in Australia in the 2016 World Group first round.

Switzerland were without the country’s two top players, 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and three-time major champ Stan Wawrinka.

Switzerland will now compete in the World Group Play-off on 15-17 Sept.

Belgium score first ever win over Germany 

Steve Darcis defeated Alexander Zverev 2-6 6-4 6-4 7-6(8) to send Belgium into the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinals with an unsurmountable 3-1 lead over Germany on Sunday.

With the tie already decided, Ruben Bemelmans beat Mischa Zverev 7-5 6-1, giving Belgium a 4-1 upset victory – its first over Germany at the ninth attempt in the Davis Cup.

Darcis, the Belgian No.1 in the absence of David Goffin, rallied after losing the first set of the decisive rubber and held his nerve when the 19-year-old Zverev saved three match points in the tiebreaker to win in just over three hours.

“That’s why we love the Davis Cup as we have surprises and we had one today,” the 58th-ranked Darcis said.

“The difference between us and them is that we are really a team. They have so many great players but we play with the heart, for our country and for the people here.”

Darcis was ranked lower than three players on the German team.

Zverev fired 21 aces, took the first set in under 30 minutes, and appeared to have everything under control until Darcis fought his way back midway through the second set.

Germany now face another relegation play-off tie in September after a third straight first-round defeat.

“Somehow everything went wrong from the start,” team captain Michael Kohlmann said.

Darcis began his heroics by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber in the opening rubber. “We need three miracles to get through this tie,” he said afterward.

Alexander Zverev defeated Arthur De Greef for Germany’s only point on Friday, before losing with his brother Mischa to Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore in Saturday’s doubles.

Darcis did the rest.

“The whole weekend went badly for us somehow,” Alexander Zverev said. “We could have been leading 2-0 after the first day.”

Other World Group first-round winners were France (4-1 over Japan) and Spain (3-2 over Croatia).