GERMANY v ARGENTINA – Bamberg, GER – clay (indoors)
Head-to-head: Argentina lead 5-2
Germany have defeated Argentina just once in the last 75 years – in a World Group quarterfinal in 1991. Argentina won their most recent encounter 5-0 in the first round in 2003. The winner of this tie will play at home against the winner of Japan v Croatia.
GERMANY v ARGENTINA
9 Current DC Nations Ranking 3
Champion 3 times Best Result Runner-up 4 times
1913 First Year Played 1923
77 Years Played (inc 2012) 58
29 Years in World Group (inc 2012) 20
210 Ties Played 136
137-73 Ties Win-Loss 77-59
1 Comebacks from 0-2 down 0
• GERMANY have been absent from the World Group on just 3 occasions (1983, 2004-05).
• Last year, Germany reached the quarterfinals, losing to France 4-1 in Stuttgart. The Germans have lost in the first round just once in the last 5 years.
• Germany have won 3 Davis Cup titles, the most recent in 1993. They also won the title in 1988-89, one of only 6 successful defences of the Davis Cup since the World Group began in 1981.
• German captain Patrik Kuhnen was a member of all 3 winning German Davis Cup teams.
• Germany go into this weekend’s tie ranked No. 9 on the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking – 4 places below their best ranking of No. 5, which they first achieved in December 2007.
• ARGENTINA are playing in the World Group for the 11th consecutive year.
• Last year, Argentina finished runner-up, losing 3-1 to Spain in Seville. They reached the final by defeating Romania 4-1 in the first round, Kazakhstan 5-0 in the quarterfinals (both in Buenos Aires), and Serbia 3-2 in the semifinals in Belgrade.
• Since returning to the World Group in 2002 after 9 years in Zone Group competition, Argentina have not lost in the opening round, reaching the quarterfinals or better in each of the last 10 years.
• Argentina are a 4-time runner-up in Davis Cup: in 1981 (l. USA), 2006 (l. Russia), 2008 (l. Spain) and 2011 (l. Spain). Argentina are the only nation to have lost 4 Davis Cup Finals without winning the title.
• The doubles rubber in the World Group semifinal between Russia and Argentina in 2002, featuring Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin against Lucas Arnold-Ker and David Nalbandian, is the longest recorded men’s doubles match in Davis Cup, at 6 hours, 20 minutes.