Spain takes 2-0 lead over Kazakhstan in Davis Cup

OVIEDO, Spain -- Spain showed it doesn't always need to rely on Rafael Nadal, with Juan Carlos Ferrero and Nicolas Almagro sweeping the opening singles matches over Kazakhstan on Friday to give the defending Davis Cup champions a 2-0 lead.

Ferrero came from behind in the fifth set to beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4 to open the World Group first round series on indoor clay, before Almagro downed Andrey Golubev 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Nadal and David Ferrer have helped Spain win three of the past four titles but both are absent, forcing new captain Alex Corretja to pick a whole new squad.

Ferrero, a former No. 1, and his 11th-ranked teammate responded to put Spain on course for a 22nd straight victory at home by winning Saturday's doubles.

Troubled by a right thigh injury from the third set, Ferrero trailed 3-1 in the decider but rallied to clinch victory when Kukushkin sent a backhand into the net.

"Everyone thought it was going to be an easy match but you could see it wasn't," Ferrero said. "I tried to maintain my game and winning that third set helped."

Ferrero, playing Davis Cup for the first time since September 2009, looked on course for an easy victory but his 61st-ranked opponent asserted himself in the second set to level the match.

Trailing 4-0 in the third set, Ferrero had his thigh taped up soon after and fought back to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker.

Kukushkin leveled to take it to a deciding set, but his 101st unforced error gave the match to the 2003 French Open champion after nearly 4½ hours.

Almagro was in control before Golubev leveled the match in the second, but the clay-court specialist then took over with his opponent making 56 unforced errors.

On Saturday, Spanish pair Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez will play Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin in doubles as the hosts go for a 24th straight win on clay.

If the series isn't wrapped up on Saturday, reverse singles are scheduled for Sunday.