Bernard Tomic downed Denis Istomin as Australia defeated Uzbekistan in the Davis Cup on Sunday to advance to September's World Group playoffs. Tomic sealed victory for Australia in their Asia-Oceania Group One second-round tie on clay in Namangan with an emphatic four-set victory over Istomin to give his team an unassailable 3-1 lead. The 20-year-old won 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth rubber after Australia went into the final day leading 2-1.

Results from a Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I second-round tie in Namangan, Uzbekistan, on Sunday: Uzbekistan 1 Australia 3 Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 Saturday Lleyton Hewitt/Matthew Ebden (AUS) bt Farrukh Dustov/Denis Istomin (UZB) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 Friday Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Farrukh Dustov (UZB) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4 Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-4 afp

Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin needed four sets before downing Marinko Matosevic to level the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group one second round tie with Australia in Namangan on Friday. Istomin, ranked 46, subdued a spirited challenge from the 50th-ranked Matosevic to win the second singles rubber 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-4 on the indoor red clay surface. Bernard Tomic, the highest-ranked player in the tie at 43, got Australia off to a winning start by beating Farrukh Dustov, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4 in the opening rubber.

Bernard Tomic was recalled to Australia's Davis Cup team Wednesday to face Uzbekistan after ending his feud with captain Pat Rafter. In January, the 20-year-old said he would not be available for Davis Cup duties until at least a World Group playoff in September, should Australia qualify, after Rafter axed him for a tie against Taiwan. At the time, Rafter said it was to "teach him a lesson" after Tomic last year created more headlines off the court than on it, including run-ins with police in his sports car and claims he was not trying hard enough.