Davis Cup Preview: Argentina at Australia

The Davis Cup quarterfinals begin this weekend and Tennis-X will preview one tie each day leading to the beginning of play on Friday. Squaring off in the quarterfinals this weekend are the Netherlands at the Slovak Republic, Argentina at Australia, France at Russia, and Romania at Croatia:

Argentina at Australia
Site: Sydney International Tennis Centre, Sydney, Australia
Surface: Grass outdoors
Ball: Slazenger Championship Grasscourt

Now here's a tie you can truly sink your teeth into -- one where the country's top players share a genuine dislike of each other.

While they won't hold a press conference to announce it, the Aussies think the Argentines are cheats. Wayne Arthurs, when asked about Guillermo Canas' recent positive doping test, merely smiled and refused to take the bait.

Last year it was Belarus' Vladimir "The Vladiator" Voltchkov who voiced the opinion of many in the game by saying something dodgy was going on in Argentina.

"Judging by their results they've been keeping being (sic) in an amazingly great form in last couple of years," Voltchkov said of the Argentine players. "And when they say that out of 120 best players in the world 47 have nandrolone in their blood, I think that all Argentinian team is in that list. Why am I so sure? Great traditions -- (Guillermo) Coria was caught, (Mariano) Puerta was caught twice, (Juan Ignacio) Chela was caught as well. So I have something against them."

The Aussie players have been cool to their Argentine guests in public during practice in Sydney, perhaps drawing on a number of memories to fire their ire: Chela (who is not on the visiting team) spitting at Hewitt at this year's Australian Open; the Argentines humiliating the Aussies 5-0 on clay in Buenos Aires in 2002; or David Nalbandian criticizing Hewitt before their meeting at the Australian Open this year.

Hewitt's bellowing "Come On!"s and fist-pumping glares are not on the Argentine's Top 10 list, and Aussie captain John Fitzgerald says it will play an important part in the tie.

"If (Hewitt) wins a point at a big point in the match, you can expect it," Fitzy said. "I think the crowd feeds off it."

With the Wimbledon retirement of Todd Woodbridge and the injury absence of Mark Philippoussis, Hewitt and Arthurs will likely perform both singles and doubles duties, with benchwarmers Chris "Penthouse" Guccione and Peter Luczak rooting from the sidelines.

Nalbandian played down his problems with Hewitt Tuesday at a press conference.

"It's between Argentina and Australia," Nalbandian said.

If Nalbandian of Coria can steal a singles win on the first day, the Argentine secret weapon (though they have had a poor year thus far) could be the formidable doubles tandem of Gaston Etlis and Martin Rodriguez.

"This has a potential to be an incredibly good tie," Fitzgerald said. "It's two classy teams, both passionate about playing for their countries. It has blockbuster potential."

Let the pointing, shouting, spitting and glaring commence.