PARIS, April 14: The United States joined Russia, Argentina and Spain in the Davis Cup semi-finals on Sunday after Andy Roddick beat France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 for a 3-1 winning lead.

Holders US thanked their world number six Roddick for their semi-final berth after victory over Mathieu at Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1hr 37min.

Mathieu had his serve broken five times and did not even manage to get a break point, such was the quality of Roddick’s serve on the fast surface.

On Friday, Roddick had beaten Michael Llodra 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) and James Blake beat Mathieu 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 after saving two match points.

France reduced the deficit on Saturday thanks to the surprising victory of Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra against twins Bob and Mike Bryan 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, who had lost only once in 15 Davis Cup matches till then.

France were handicapped in their first two singles when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had to pull out with a knee injury and Richard Gasquet was out of form with a blister on his hand.

The question since Saturday’s doubles win had been whether or not captain Guy Forget would substitute Gasquet for Mathieu. Forget elected to stay with Mathieu against Roddick but he was no match for the determined American.

In the Sept 19-21 semi-final, the US will travel to Spain who beat Germany 4-1 in Bremen.

Spain had already gone through thanks to victories by Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer in Friday’s singles and by Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in Saturday’s doubles.

The Russians and Argentines just managed to avoid having to play a fifth and final, decisive rubber against the Czechs and Swedes.

In Moscow, Nikolay Davydenko was fielded by captain Shamil Tarpischev, who had rested him on Friday, and he won 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 1-2 thanks to the retirement of Tomas Berdych, who injured a leg in the fifth set.

The Czech number one Berdych had not had a great weekend, having also led by two sets against Marat Safin in Friday’s singles’ tie before losing.

It was the second consecutive round that Russia had been handed victory thanks to a retirement, after Novak Djokovic had to retire due to illness in the first round.

That was also against Davydenko and also handed Russia a winning 3-1 lead.

Argentina’s David Nalbandian won the fourth rubber against Robin Soderling, a specialist of fast surfaces 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-4, 9-7 but not before having to struggle back from two sets to one down.

Argentina, the only major nation never to have won the silver salad bowl trophy, will meet Russia in Buenos Aires on Sept 19 to 21 in a rematch of the 2006 final won by the Russians.

Results (Sunday):

World Group (quarter-finals):

Russia 3 Czech Republic 2

Argentina 4 Sweden 1

Spain 4 Germany 1

US 4 France 1.—AFP