Argentina Stuns Australia in Davis Cup Doubles
Posted on July 17, 2005
Davis Cup World Group Quarterfinal Saturday ResultsArgentina leads Australia 2-1
David Nalbandian and French Open finalist Mariano Puerta gave Lleyton Hewitt and Wayne Arthurs a grasscourt doubles schooling Saturday in Sydney, putting Argentina ahead 2-1 in the tie with a 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3 shocker.
"He was very confident and very motivated," said Nalbandian of Puerta's unexpected Aussie doubles clinic. "It was an incredible match...We just need to win one more match. Doesn't matter if it is me or Guillermo (Coria)."
Hewitt and Arthurs went in as the favorites, but had no answers for Puerta's inspired play, with pride on the line after Friday's blow-up between Hewitt and Coria.
"We felt like we were the better team," Hewitt said. "We had opportunities to break in the third set and we didn't take those chances when we needed to. Even when we were down we felt if we could get the third set, there would be some momentum."
Costly to the Aussies was the retirement of Todd Woodbridge after Wimbledon, forcing together the first-time pairing of Hewitt and Arthurs.
The Aussies will need to sweep both singles on Sunday, with Hewitt facing Nalbandian, then Arthurs against Coria.
"I always look forward to the big occasion and if Lleyton gets over the line then I'm going to be ready for that fifth rubber," Arthurs said. "The momentum has shifted with us losing today and if Lleyton can win that first match then the momentum will shift back to our side. It's going to be a big day."
France leads Russia 2-1
Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra gave France the edge Saturday in Moscow, defeating the first-time Russian pairing of Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Russian Shamil Tarpischev made another questionable call with the choice of Andreev, who looked like he didn't want to go to the net unless it was to shake hands. Clement and Llodra seized on Andreev's inexperience, pounding the ball at the Russian and making him volley at every opportunity to put the French within one win in the tie.
"We like to play together," Llodra said. "Maybe today we had more confidence than them. We've played many matches this year together, and maybe it helps a lot in Davis Cup."
On Sunday the first rubber will feature French 19-year-old Richard Gasquet versus Nikolay Davydenko, then likely Youzhny versus big-match choker Paul-Henri Mathieu for France.
Croatia leads Romania 2-1
Croatians Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic held on to defeat Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to put the Croats up 2-1 in Split, one match from their first Davis Cup semifinal.
"It was a difficult match," Ljubicic said. "It was extremely hard to break on this surface, since all four of us served big. We played better, much better as the match went on, and that's not for the first time. You have to believe, and we did."
It was another big win for the Croat tandem who in the first round defeated Americans Bob and Mike Bryan.
Ljubicic will attempt to clinch in the first singles Sunday against Pavel, with Ancic following against Victor Hanescu.
Slovaks lead Dutch 2-1
The Slovak Republic took back homecourt control of their quarterfinal tie versus the Netherlands Saturday, with the tandem of Karol Beck and Michal Mertinak defeating Dutchmen Paul Haarhuis and Melle van Gemerden 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
The doubles win puts the Slovaks one win from their first Davis Cup semifinal.
"I played five sets yesterday and I was physically and mentally tired, but with the help of the doctor and masseur I felt fine this morning and believed that I would play well," Beck said. "Dominik Hrbaty said before the match that if we won the doubles he would win the singles tomorrow so I don't have to play again."
Hrbaty will play Wessels in the opening Sunday singles, with Beck possibly facing Raemon Sluiter if a fifth rubber is necessary.
Smashnova, Garbin in WTA Modena Final
Fifth-seeded Anna Smashnova advanced to the final at the Modena International on Saturday with a 7-5, 6-3 win over No. 2 seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy.
"It was a very, very tough match. A few points made the difference," Smashnova said. "I hope to play my best possible tennis tomorrow."
In the final the Israeli will face unseeded Italian homecountry hope Tathiana Garbin, who steamrolled Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay 6-3, 6-0.
"She is very dangerous when she can take command of play," Garbin said of the 16-year-old Szavay. "I imposed my tactic from the very first game, and it paid off."
Garbin said the final will be difficult, with the players splitting their two career meetings.
"She makes few mistakes and is difficult to beat," Garbin said. "It will be up to me to vary my play and cause her problems."
In the doubles final, top seeds Gabriela Navratilova and Michaela Pastikova take on the unseeded team of Yulia Beygelzimer and Mervana Jugic-Salkic.
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