'Naturally I'm disappointed,' said Beck. 'I'm sorry I couldn't help the team today.

'I was bothered by my emotions and played badly at the start. I've never experienced anything like this Davis Cup atmosphere.'

Kohlschreiber said he executed his game plan perfectly to leave Germany in with a chance against a Spanish side missing both Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer through injury.

'This time, I played correctly,' said 29th-ranked Kohlschreiber, who had lost his last two matches against the Australian Open semi-finalist. 'I was super-concentrated. I didn't want to lose to him again.'

Germany will give Mischa Zvereva a test of fire in Saturday's doubles as the first-time player teams with Nicolas Kiefer against Spaniards Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez.

In Tel Aviv, unfancied Israel took a surprise 2-0 lead over 2006 champion Russia, who have played the semi-finals for the past four years and are into the quarters for the 10th time in 11 years.

But the hosts took little notice, with Harel Levy starting the afternoon with a defeat of Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 followed by Dudi Sela's upset of Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5.

Marat Safin and substitute Igor Kunitsyn are set to defend Russian colours in the doubles Saturday as Safin likely bows out from Davis Cup competition.

Tomas Berdych put the Czech Republic into 1-0 command against three-time runner-up Argentina with his 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Juan Monaco.

World number five Juan Del Potro re-established order with his brief defeat of Ivo Minar 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 to leave the scoreline 1-1.