Marat Safin once again proved Russia's Davis Cup hero of the hour, putting the defending champions into the semi-finals with a victory in the deciding rubber against France on Sunday.

The former world number one's 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Paul-Henri Mathieu gave Russia a 3-2 win and a place in September's semi-finals against Germany.

Safin had performed a similarly vital role in four previous deciding rubbers in Davis Cup, including in last year's final when he clinched victory over Argentina to give the Russians their second title.

Sunday's win in Moscow's Luzhniki Arena kept intact Russia's unbeaten record at home since the 1995 final.

Germany, Sweden and the United States had already secured semi-final places after Saturday's doubles.

Germany failed to complete a fifth successive whitewash of neighbours Belgium on Sunday. The Belgians won both the reverse singles in Ostend to make the final scoreline 3-2.

Former champions Sweden, who will host the US in the September 21-23 semi-finals, finished with a 4-1 scoreline against Argentina after Jonas Bjorkman won the first of the reverse singles for the home side in Gothenburg and Juan-Martin Del Potro took a consolation point for the visitors.

FOOT INJURY

Safin, the world number 27, had been dropped from Saturday's doubles because of a foot injury. He wore a bandage on Sunday but still dominated the match against Mathieu who was unable to break the big Russian.

The rubber was the shortest match of the three-day tie and Safin, a late replacement for Mikhail Youzhny, declared that the outcome had never been in question.

"I had no doubts that I would win," he told reporters. "And confidence is everything in tennis."

Sebastien Grosjean had levelled the tie at 2-2 earlier on Sunday by beating Igor Andreev 7-5, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first reverse singles.

World number four Nikolay Davydenko, who replaced Safin for the doubles, and Andreev beat Grosjean and Michael Llodra 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Saturday after Friday's opening singles had ended all square with wins for Mathieu and Youzhny.

Russia will have home advantage again against Germany in September and French captain Guy Forget said he expected another Russian victory.

"They are the best team in the world," Forget told reporters. "They can win again this year."

The 18-year-old Del Potro's 7-6, 6-4 win over Robert Lindstedt in Sunday's final, dead rubber, was the only bright spot for Argentina who struggled with the fast, indoor carpet surface in Gothenburg's Convention Centre.

Seven-times champions Sweden will have choice of surface again when they play the Americans in the last four.

Led by world number three Andy Roddick, the Americans had wrapped up their win over Spain by the end of the second day in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.