Argentina lose doubles and Del Potro
Date published :
15 Sep 2012 - 21:47:50
Argentina's hopes of making the Davis Cup final suffered a double blow on Saturday when they slipped 2-1 down to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals and lost top player Juan Martin Del Potro through injury.
Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek eased past Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the doubles at a shell-shocked Parque Roca to take their Davis Cup record to 11-1.
Argentina, defeated in all of their four Davis Cup finals, including by defending champions Spain in 2008 and last year, then saw world number eight Del Potro withdraw from Sunday's reverse singles with a wrist injury.
He will be replaced by world number 45 Berlocq in Sunday's clash against US Open semi-finalist Berdych, the sixth-ranked player, before Juan Monaco is scheduled to tackle Stepanek.
The winners of the tie will face either Spain or the United States in November's final.
"Del Potro won't play so now we have to prepare with Berlocq. This is not what we expected, but we have two matches left. Del Potro is a significant loss but we will fight," said Argentina captain Martin Jaite.
Del Potro had defeated Stepanek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the first singles rubber on Friday before Berdych levelled the semi-final, beating Monaco 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
