Former champions Serbia, Germany, Australia, and Italy punched tickets to the Davis Cup finals on Saturday, while Japan rallied from a 2-1 deficit as Taro Daniel won the decisive rubber to overcome China.
Serbia, playing without Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, watched their 2-0 overnight lead evaporate in Tashkent as Uzbekistan roared back to send their clash to a fifth rubber.
Denis Istomin partnered Sanjar Fayziev to a 2-6 6-1 6-3 win over Nikola Milojevic and Viktor Troicki in the doubles before he downed Dusan Lajovic 6-3 6-4 in the singles.
But Filip Krajinovic picked up the decisive point by coming from behind to beat world number 280 Sanjar Fayziev 4-6 6-3 6-0 to nail down a place for Serbia at November's revamped finals in Madrid.
Germany, who won the last of three titles in 1993, eased to victory over Hungary as Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Puetz strolled to a 6-2 6-3 doubles triumph to an unassailable 3-0 advantage.
Kazakhstan are also through as Mikhail Kukushkin completed a 3-1 victory over Portugal by swatting Joao Sousa aside 6-4 6-1.
Under the new format adopted by the International Tennis Federation, the Davis Cup will be decided at a season-ending 18-team event between the week of November 18-24.
Rubbers are now played in a best-of-three-set format, replacing the long-used best-of-five, with the reverse singles matches played on Saturday after the doubles, shortening the ties by one day to two.
The 12 winners in qualifying this weekend will join automatic qualifiers Croatia, France, United States, Spain, Argentina, and Britain in November's finals in Madrid.
