Argentina closer to Davis Cup semi-finals

Argentina was left closer to the Davis Cup semi-finals after Juan Mónaco and Juan Martín Del Potro achieved two points against Kazakhstan in the first round of the quarter-finals held over clay in Buenos Aires.

Mónaco defeated Andrey Golubev by 6-3, 6-0 and 6-4; while Del Potro won over Mikhail Kukushkin by 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2 in the Mary Terán de Weiss stadium in Parque Roca.

“Pico” Mónaco won Argentina’s first point after two hours and two minutes, and it was his stronger victory in the tournament against a rival that could not win the last ten matches he played this year.

Del Potro, who has suffered injuries in the last seasons, played in Buenos Aires after two years and rapidly settled the difference in the first part of the match against an unsecure opponent who was not able to strengthen his game in two hours and eight minutes.

Argentina faced this round without David Nalbandian, who had announced last week that he was not able to play due to an injury, and had to be replaced by Eduardo Schwank.

On the second round of the quarter-finals, Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela and Schwank will play the doubles against Yuri Schukin y Evgeny Korolev.

On the last round to be played on Saturday, Del Potro will face Golubev and Mónaco, Kukushkin, although if the series is already solved, then the captains could change the players.

The winner will play the semi-finals before the winner of the quarter-final between Sweden and Serbia, that is being held this weekend in Halmstad (Sweden).