Evan Fournier of France holds the ball in the game against Spain at the FIBA World Championship in Madrid on Wednesday. Photo: IC

Huge upsets lit up the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Championship on Wednesday (Spanish time) as France beat hosts Spain 65-52 while Serbia thumped Brazil 84-56 to set up an intriguing semifinal clash.

Fancied to stroll into an anticipated title bout with the Americans, the Spaniards were stunned by a French side missing several top players including four-time NBA champion Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs.

Defying a deafening roar from the passionate home fans, France led from start to finish in a physical encounter which threatened to boil over in the third quarter when a scuffle broke out among rival players on the court.

The French pulled away in a tense finish as forward Boris Diaw led the charge with 15 points and five rebounds and was aided by Thomas ­Heurtel, who racked up 13 and four ­assists.

"It was a very bad match, we weren't in the game at any point in time and that's why we are out," Spanish playmaker ­Sergio Rodriguez said.

"We are very frustrated. We all wanted to go to Sunday's ­final and in my six years with the national team this is the biggest blow I have suffered.

"We need to analyze what we did wrong and try to go forward."

A resurgent Serbia, who squeezed through the preliminary group stage, produced a second successive upset in the knockout rounds and brushed aside the Brazilians after they eliminated Greece in the round of 16.

Serbia lost to Brazil in group play but blew out the South Americans in the second half thanks to 23 points from Milos Teodosic while Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 12 points and both Nenad Krstic and Miroslav Raduljica had 10 points.

Anderson Varejao and Marquinhos Vieira each scored 12 points for Brazil but the team once again failed to finish in the top four of the Worlds - their seventh straight missed opportunity.

Teodosic started the game hot in the first quarter with eight points in helping Serbia build a 14-9 lead. The Europeans were up 21-17 after 10 minutes.

The Brazilians were confined to just 22 field goals from 65 attempts by an ironclad Serbian defense which forced their rivals to take a series of difficult long-range shots.

"I rarely single out individuals but Teodosic's talent and vision paved the way," said Serbia's coach  Aleksandar Djordjevic, a former point guard who led the former ­Yugoslavia to claim the World Championship title in 1998 in Athens, Greece.