Davis Cup: Nalbandian, Mónaco to play opening singles against Germany

Tennis Davis Cup World Group matches were tossed, and Argentines Juan Mónaco, and David Nalbandian will be taking the first and second round against Phillipp Petzschner and Florian Mayer respectively, on Friday in Bamberg, Germany.

Round three will see doubles’ action as Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank will take on Tommy Haas and Petzschner.    

On Sunday, round 4 will cross Mónaco with Mayer; while round 5 will set Nalbandián and Petzschner in the Stechert Arena Bamberg.   

Argentina’s new Davis Cup captain Martin Jaite said “We are presenting a very experienced team, with players that have played in many big battles in Davis Cup. This gives me a lot of confidence in my first experience as Davis Cup captain.”

Likewise, Jaite, who is making his debut alongside vice-captain Mariano Zabaleta, remarked how difficult the tie will be, “We know that we are facing a very difficult tie against a very compact German team, but if I had to define the Argentine team in one word I would choose experience, and that gives me a great deal of reassurance.”

Argentina, last year’s Davis Cup runners-up, are without their top player Juan Martin del Potro, who declared himself unavailable for the tie because he didn’t want to switch to clay, the chosen surface of the Germans, during the hard court season.