The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Nalbandian puts Argentina ahead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 17, 2005

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Sport - Tennis

Nalbandian puts Argentina ahead

SYDNEY: Argentina's David Nalbandian completed a four-set singles win over Wayne Arthurs on Saturday and then teamed with Mariano Puerta for a doubles victory that gave the South Americans a 2-1 lead over Australia in their Davis Cup quarterfinal, even as relations between the teams continued to plummet.

The home side led 1-0 after Lleyton Hewitt's four-set win on Friday over Guillermo Coria. But Nalbandian returned on Saturday morning to conclude his suspended singles match with Arthurs, needing just 28 minutes to complete a 6-3, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 win to even the quarterfinal.

An hour later, Nalbandian returned with Puerta to the temporary grass court at the Sydney International Tennis Centre to notch up a 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3 win over Arthurs and Hewitt, putting Argentina in control of the weekend amidst controversy over an inscriptions on t-shirts worn by a section of the Australian fans.

Although both doubles teams were paired together for the first time, it was the Argentinians who looked more comfortable and combined better. Puerta lost only three points on his serve on Saturday.

The Australians, meanwhile, let five or six shots go between them in the middle of the court, unsure of which player should take the ball.

"Amazing, two points in one day," said Nalbandian. "We played almost perfectly, an incredible match."

Australia must now win both reverse singles matches on Sunday — Hewitt will play Nalbandian in a replay of the 2002 Wimbledon final won by the Australian, and Arthurs takes on Coria.

T-shirts aggravate trouble

Relations between the Australian and Argentine Davis Cup teams sank to a new low when dozens of Australian fans arrived wearing t-shirts depicting the South Americans as drug cheats.

Some 70 supporters, all members of the Fanatics club, arrived dressed in bright yellow tops bearing a cartoon showing Argentine tennis players at a needle exchange under the provocative slogan "Where's Willie?"

The Fanatics' official website said the cartoon was a direct reference to Argentina's top-ranked player Guillermo Canas, who pulled out of the tie because of a doping investigation.

Although the Fanatics are not officially recognised or endorsed by Tennis Australia, the group claims to have loose links with the sport's national body.

A Tennis Australia spokesman said the club often reserved blocks of seats at Davis Cup ties. Australia's top player Lleyton Hewitt is a close friend of the Fanatics' leader Warren Livingston and has given them free tickets in the past.

However, Tennis Australia President Geoff Pollard released a statement saying his organisation had nothing to do with the Fanatics although he had discussed the t-shirts with Livingston.

"Tennis Australia does not see in advance, or have approval over, what the Fanatics provide to those who independently buy tickets through them," Pollard said.

Argentina's David Nalbandian said he was not offended by the shirts but was quick to defend the reputation of his compatriot Canas.

"I don't know (anything) about it but I know Guillermo and I'm sure that he (did nothing)," Nalbandian said.

France takes lead

Meanwhile, Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra defeated Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 to give visitor France a 2-1 lead over Russia at Moscow's Olympic Stadium on Saturday. They teams had split the opening singles matches on Friday, with Nikolai Davydenko beating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu and teenager Richard Gasquet defeating the home team's Igor Andreev.

The results (World Group quarterfinals):

At Sydney: Australia 1 Argentina 2 (Wayne Arthurs lost to David Nalbandian 6-3, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt & Arthurs lost to Mariano Puerta & Nalbandian 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3).

At Moscow: Russia 1 France 2 (Igor Andreev & Mikhail Youzhny lost to Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2).

At Bratislava: Slovakia 2 The Netherlands 1 (Karol Beck lost to Peter Wessels 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2; Karol Beck & Michal Mertinak bt Paul Haarhuis & Melle van Gemerden 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

At Split: Croatia 1 Romania 1 (Mario Ancic lost to Andrei Pavel 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic bt Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3)).

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