BENIDORM, Spain — Serbia pulled within 2-1 of defending champion Spain in their best-of-five Davis Cup series by winning the doubles today.

Serbia's hopes of staying alive in the first-round World Group series rest with Novak Djokovic, who will face top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the first reverse singles match on Sunday.

Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki beat Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (7) after Nadal had given Spain a 2-0 lead by routing Janko Tipsarevic 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 in the day's second singles match on the outdoor clay.

The third-ranked Djokovic had 68 unforced errors and lost to David Ferrer 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in Saturday's opening singles match.

"My game this morning wasn't the best start, but to play against the world No. 1 is always a great experience for any player," said Djokovic, who is 4-11 against Nadal without a win in five career matches on clay. "I'll have no problem being motivated."

Nadal made it 120 wins in his last 123 matches on clay, dominating Tipsarevic from the baseline.

He broke the 47th-ranked Serbian seven times, winning 10 straight games at one point.

Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic's decision to replace Djokovic with Troicki for the doubles match paid off as the Serbian pair gave the visitors hope after Spain nearly recorded an unprecedented single-day sweep.

Zimonjic and Troicki saved a set point and then Lopez double-faulted to give Serbia the victory.

Djokovic never looked comfortable on the clay and Ferrer's forehand — which provided 20 of his 31 winners — helped take the clinching set to the tiebreaker.

"A different surface means a different bounce, and it's not easy (to get used to)," said Ferrer, who recovered from a defeat in the Dubai Championships final to Djokovic last week to square their career record at 4-4.

Play only started Saturday after crews repaired the specially built structure that was damaged by strong winds a day earlier.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.