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Davis Cup debutante Chris Woodruff saved the US's Davis Cup hopes as a dramatic weekend saw 1999 runners-up France knocked out and defending champions Australia pushed all the way.

The 1999 winners came from 2-1 behind to Switzerland - with Mark Philippoussis winning the deciding rubber - to clinch their place in the quarter-finals.

France joined Great Britain out of the tournament as Brazil won 4-1, a victory secured with a 3-0 scoreline on Saturday.

Britain lost 4-1 in the Czech Republic on Sunday, as a tired Tim Henman lost in straight sets to Jiri Novak, and Jamie Delgado lost the dead rubber.

The US's reward for their win in Harare is a home tie with the Czech Republic, while the Brazilians travel to Slovakia, 3-2 conquerors of Austria.

Like Slovakia, Spain and Russia were also in the quarter-finals by Saturday night.

The Spanish, who eventually won 4-1 at home to Italy, will next meet the Russians, who enjoyed a similar result over Belgium.

Meanwhile Australia will travel to Germany, who were comfortable 4-1 winners over neighbours the Netherlands.

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Zimbabwe 2-3 US

Chris Woodruff's 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-4 win over Wayne Black on Sunday was ultimately crucial.

But the final rubber would have been irrelevant if world no 1 Andre Agassi had not overcome Wayne's older brother Byron 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to level the tie at 2-2.

Agassi had also beaten Wayne Black 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday, when Woodruffe had lost to the old Zimbabwean brother 7-6 (7/2) 6-3, 6-2.

The USA fell behind after Saturday's doubles, when Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett won a five-set thriller against Rick Leach and Alex O'Brien 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 0-6, 7-5, 7-5.

In Friday's opening singles Agassi beat Wayne Black 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 and Byron Black beat Woodruff 7-6 (7/2) 6-3, 6-2.

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Switzerland 2-3 Australia

Mark Philippoussis, hero of Australia's Davis Cup final victory two months ago, came to his country's rescue again on Sunday by beating Swiss George Bastl 6-7 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 to clinch a 3-2 win.

Australia were trailing 2-1 at one point but Lleyton Hewitt hauled them level when he beat Roger Federer 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1.

A loss would have been an big embarrassment for the defending champions.

Switzerland gained their shock lead courtesy of a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 doubles victory by Roger Federer and Lorenzo Manta over Wayne Arthurs and Sandon Stolle.

On Friday Hewitt beat Bastl 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 while Federer defeated Philippoussis 6-4, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4.

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Brazil 4-1 France

Brazil gained revenge for last year's quarter-final defeat after Saturday's doubles.

Gustavo Kuerten and Jaime Oncins defeated Cedric Pioline and Nicolas Escude in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Fernando Meligeni had beaten Pioline 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Friday's singles before Kuerten overcame Jerome Golmard 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Sunday's dead rubbers saw Brazil's Francisco Costa beat Arnaud Clement 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-2 but Escude rescued some French pride with a 2-6 6-7 (3-7) win over Kuerten.

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Germany 4-1 Netherlands

Tommy Haas clinched victory for Germany when he overcame Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the first of Sunday's reverse singles.

On Saturday German doubles pair David Prinosil and Marc-Kevin Gollner beat Dutch pair Paul Haarhuis and Jan Siemerink 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in Leipzig.

In Friday's opening singles Haas beat van John Van Lottum 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2, before the Dutch came back with Schalken beating Schuttler 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1, 6-0.

Rainer Schuttler gave Germany their fourth win in the dead rubber, with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Lottum.

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Spain 4-1 Italy

Spain's doubles pair Alex Corretja and Joan Balcells beat Andrea Gaudenzi and Diego Nargiso 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 for a 3-0 scoreline on Saturday.

On Friday Albert Costa beat Davide Sanguinetti 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 before Corretja defeated Andrea Gaudenzi 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Sunday's dead rubbers saw a sole victory for Italy when Gaudenzi beat Costa 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 but Francisco Clavet then beat Vincenzo Santopadre, Italy, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3 to hand Spain a 4-1 win.

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Russia 4-1 Belgium

Russia progressed on Saturday when Marat Safin and Andrei Cherkasov beat Christophe and Olivier Rochus 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Safin had already beaten Christophe Rochus in Friday's singles, 7-5. 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 while Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Filip Dewulf 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Russia threatened a whitewash when Mikhail Yuzhny beat Olivier Rochus in the first dead rubber 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.

But Dewulf salvaged some pride for the visitors with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 over Cherkasov.

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Slovakia 3-2 Austria

The crucial blow here also came on Saturday when Karol Kucera and Dominik Hrbaty beat Austria's Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Kucera had already sailed through his opening singles against Markus Hipfl 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 while Hrbaty was similarly dominant over Stefan Koubek with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Austria won both the dead rubbers as the top Slovakians were rested and Jan Kroslak lost 6-3, 6-2 to Koubek, while Hipfl beat Ladislav Svarc, Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4.

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Czech Republic 4-1 Great Britain

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