Moya and Ferrero in irresistible form

Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero scored crushing singles wins over Croatia's top two players yesterday to take Spain to the brink of a Davis Cup quarter-final victory in Valencia.

Ferrero put a nervous start behind him to set Spain on their way with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 success over the teenaged Mario Ancic on the clay-court surface.

Moya, ranked a place behind Ferrero at No 4 in the world, then won a spectacular tussle with Ivan Ljubicic to make it 2-0 at the end of the first day. Ljubicic served well throughout but Moya held on to claim a 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win – Moya's first victory in four meetings with the Croat No 1.

Ferrero was given a few problems early on by the big-serving Ancic, but the Spaniard gradually took control, gaining the only break of the first set in the ninth game as the Croat put a forehand long on the first of three break points.

The world No 3 broke in the opening game of the second set and saved six break points in the next. Ferrero broke again in the fifth game with a drop volley for a 4-1 lead and held on for the set. Ferrero missed a chance to take the match at 5-4 in the third set, when he was broken to 15, but comfortably secured the tie-break 7-1.

With the former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic missing through injury, Croatian hopes of causing an upset were resting on Ljubicic and he gave his side hope by coming from a break down in the first set to take it 7-5 in the tie-break. Moya roared back to take the next set 6-1, though, and the Mallorcan maintained control from then on.

Sébastien Grosjean gave France a 1-0 lead over Switzerland in their Davis Cup quarter-final when he beat George Bastl in four sets in Toulouse yesterday, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Roger Federer then beat the local player and French No 2 Nicolas Escudé, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in only two hours to level the tie at 1-1.