Davis Cup: Novak Djokovic shrugs off injury as Serbia take control against Spain; France sweep Andy Murray-less Britain aside

Belgrade: World number two Novak Djokovic shrugged off his recent elbow injury to give Serbia a winning start in their Davis Cup quarter-final against Spain on Friday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Albert Ramos Vinolas.

Djokovic, who skipped the Miami Masters because of the injury and came into the tie in Belgrade with just seven wins on the tour this year, wrapped up the rubber in style, dropping just one point on serve in the final set against his 24th-ranked opponent.

Viktor Troicki, the world 39, then made it 2-0 for Serbia by seeing off 19th-ranked Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

"I am satisfied with my game, especially with the serve," said Djokovic, who led Serbia to their only Davis Cup title in 2010.

"It worked well today and I won a lot of points off my first serve. At this level that`s important."

Five-time winners Spain are without Rafael Nadal after the 14-time Grand Slam champion opted to stay at home to prepare for the clay-court season.

The winners of the tie will face either France or Great Britain in the semi-finals.

In Rouen, Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy moved France to the verge of the Davis Cup semi-finals with straight sets wins against a British team missing injured world number one Andy Murray.

Pouille gave hosts France a winning start in the quarter-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 victory over Kyle Edmund.

Chardy then eased past Dan Evans, playing on clay for the first time in three years, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

Edmund, drafted into the singles line-up after the withdrawal of Murray with an elbow injury, was made to pay for letting slip a 5/2 lead in the second-set tiebreak.

Pouille, the world number 17 and his team`s top singles player in the absence of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, swept the breaker before dominating the deciding set.

France can wrap up the tie on Saturday when Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau face Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in the doubles.

The winners of the tie will face either Serbia or Spain in the semi-finals.