David Ferrer defeated a determined John Isner to put defending champion Spain into the final of Davis Cup on Sunday, despite the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal.
World No. 5 Ferrer gave Spain an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the tie by beating 10th-ranked U.S. No. 1 John Isner 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on clay in Gijon.
Spain had earlier taken the lead with singles victories from Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro on Friday before the United States pulled a point back with Bob and Mike Bryan’s doubles victory Saturday.
Spain won its fifth Davis Cup title last year with a 3-1 win over Argentina.
The Czech Republic leads Argentina 2-1 in the other semifinal ahead of Sunday's two decisive singles rubbers.
