France and Russia dumped from Davis Cup

London (Reuters): Stunned France joined champions Russia in the davis Cup doldrums on Sunday completing a disastrous weekend for the tournament's top two seeds.

France lost 3-2 to Switzerland and Russia crumbled 5-0 to Argentina.

Guy Forget's French battlers - champions in 2001 and runners-up to Russia in last. year's dramatic show-piece were pounded into submission by their Swiss neighbors, inspired by a faultless Roger Federer.

The stylish lion-heart won all three matches in which he featured, tearing into Fabrice Santoro in the fourth rubber on Sunday to secure the visitors' victory 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 and clinch the tie in Toulouse.

Federer had on Saturday teamed up with his captain Marc Rosset to win the doubles and beaten Nicolas Escude on Friday to almost singlehandedly secure victory and a semifinals spot against Australia.

For the Swiss, Federer's victory means only a second semifinals appearance since the world group was formed in 198.1.

They will travel to Australia in September for a chance to reach the final for only the second time in their tennis history.

Australia - led by world number one Lleyton Hewitt

booked their semifinals spot with ease, walloping Sweden 5-0 in Malmoe.

In the bottom half of the draw, the Cup was unceremoniously wrenched from Russia's grip by a dogged Argentine team effort.

Russian heroics in last December's final were a distant memory as they meekly surrendered their trophy.

Missing the injured Marat Safin — architect of their 2002 triumph — second-seeded Russia never got to grips with the agonizingly slow clay court nor the partisan Argentine crowd in Buenos Aires.

The champions found themselves 2-0 down after the opening day when Yevgeny Kafelnikov lost to Gaston Gaudio and Nikolay Davydenko lost to David Nalbandian.

Kafelnikov then teamed up with Mikhail Youzhny and lost the crunch doubles to Nalbandian and Lucas Arnold on Saturday and, with it, the tie.

Mariano Zabaleta beat Youzhny 6-1, 6-4 for 4-0 and Gaudio completed the rout beating Davydenko 7-6,6-3.