Nadal tops Djokovic to lead Spain past Serbia

Rafael Nadal has beaten Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 to give Spain an insurmountable 3-1 lead in their Davis Cup series that guarantees the defending champion's advance to the second round of the tournament.

The third-ranked Djokovic struggled with his serve on Sunday and unforced errors on the outdoor clay at the Terra Mitica amusement park as Spain clinched its 15th straight home tie.

Spain will welcome the winner of Germany-Austria in the second round in July. Serbia lost in the first round for the second straight year and will play in the World Group playoff in September.

The top-ranked Nadal won for the 121st time in his last 124 matches on clay as he made a spotless return to the court after injuring his right leg at Rotterdam last month.