Sweden took a 2-1 Davis Cup lead over Israel behind closed doors on Saturday when Robert Lindstedt and Simon Aspelin won the doubles over Andy Ram and Amir Hadad.
While demonstrators protested in Malmo against Israels participation in the competition, Lindstedt and Aspelin needed four sets to oust Ram and Hadad on the second day of the first-round match, which has been overshadowed by security concerns.
The Swedes triumphed 6-4 1-6 7-6 6-4 against the Israeli pair, who were competing together for the first time in the absence of Rams regular partner Jonathan Erlich. "It felt good to win this one. We had to win it," Sweden captain Mats Wilander told reporters.