Germany v. Argentina – Davis Cup 1st Round notes

Written by: Staff on 8th February 2012

Germany v. Argentina - Davis Cup 1st Round notes

Members of the Argentine national tennis team celebrate with their fans after their victory at the World Group Davis Cup tennis semi final against Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, 18 September 2011. Argentina won the overall duel and will advance to the Davis Cup final. EPA/KOCA SULEJMANOVIC |

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.