Germany safely through against South Korea

BERLIN (Reuters) - Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Lee Hyung-taik 6-0 4-6 6-1 7-6 in Braunschweig on Sunday to complete a heroic personal effort and set Germany up for a 3-2 win over South Korea in their Davis Cup first round tie.

Kohlschreiber's victory on an awkward indoor clay court was his third success over the weekend and gave Germany a 3-1 winning lead. They will go on to face Spain in the quarter-finals in April.

Jun Woong-sun beat Michael Berrer 6-1 3-6 6-4 in the dead rubber.

Kohlschreiber was so dominant in the first set that a German victory looked a mere formality but a moment of carelessness let Lee back in and the match turned into a real scrap.

Lee, South Korea's most experienced Davis Cup player, edged into a 3-2 lead with a break in the second set after taking advantage of a limp Kohlschreiber forehand to the net.

Kohlschreiber hit back to take the third in a similar style to the first but Lee saved four breakpoints at the start of the fourth set and looked the stronger player for much of it.

The German world number 28, who needed treatment on a sore calf, saved his best tennis for the tiebreak, taking it 7-1 to give the hosts the vital third point.

"I'm delighted with the way it all went," said Kohlschreiber, Germany's number one in the absence of the injured Tommy Haas. "It's been a super week for me."