Weakened Argentina Squad Looks For Davis Cup Revenge

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 13th September 2013

Weakened Argentina Squad Looks For Davis Cup Revenge

epa03844374 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina wipes his face between points against Lleyton Hewitt of Australia on the fifth day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 30 August 2013. The US Open runs through 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Argentina went into its 2012 Davis Cup semifinal against the Czech Republic at home thinking it had a great shot at reaching the finals as they were playing on clay, but top player Juan Martin Del Potro was only able to play his singles opener due to a wrist injury.

Del Potro did end up beating Radek Stepanek in his Friday match, but was unable to face Tomas Berdych on Sunday in the decider. Carlos Berlocq replaced Del Potro and went down to Berdych. After the loss, the home team fell into controversy with various reports stating that Del Potro and the rest of the team, including captain Martin Jaite, argued about the extent of his commitment.

Argentina will get a chance to wash away the memories of that tie this coming weekend in Prague when it faces the defending champion Czechs once again.

However, their best player, Del Potro is not on the team, and Davis Cup stalwart David Nalbandian is injured again and couldn’t make the trip either. So Jaite is forced to play Juan Monaco and Leonardo Mayer on a fast indoor surface. Monaco takes on US Open doubles champion and Davis Cup hero Radek Stepanek, and then Berdych plays Mayer. The doubles are scheduled to be Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely playing Carlos Berocq and Horacio Zeballos, but Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil almost always subs in Stepanek and Berdych as his team.

“We are very happy and practicing very well,” Jaite told DavisCup.com. “We have very good and nice players and they like to play for Argentina. I know it’s different to play without great players like Del Potro and Nalbandian, but with this team we beat Germany and France. We have nothing to lose and so much to win. Last year we were favorites in Argentina and we lost . This year it’s different. All the pressure is on them.”

Topics: 10sballs, Davis Cup, Juan Martin Del Potro, Radek Stepanek, Sports, Tennis, Tomas Berdych, US Open