TheSportsCampus

David Nalbandian brought his immense Davis Cup pedigree to bear on Saturday to help Argentina stay in the Finals, at least for another day. The veteran warrior combined forces with Eduardo Schwank to ease past Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco for a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 victory in just a shade under two hours. The South Americans need to sweep both the reverse singles on Sunday to become the first team in 72 years to come back from a 0-2 deficit to win the finals.

While that might be an unlikely prospect given that they are up against Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, who have a combined 27-0 record on clay in Davis Cup matches the Argentine team will at least have the luxury of savouring the prospect of an epic battle on Sunday for their maiden Championship.

The Argentine team drew first blood in the fifth game of the first set, when Lopez dumped a couple of volleys in the net and Schwank sent in a thumping return winner to set up three break points. They converted on the second point, Nalbandian putting away an easy volley to clinch the only break of the first set.

The second set turned out to be a one-sided affair with Nalbandian and Schwank racing away to a 4-0 lead. The Argentine duo was combining well at the net posing persistent problems to the Spanish. The set was over in a hurry, when Verdasco missed a return.

Any hopes of a Spanish fight back were dashed when Lopez served up a double fault to be broken in the first game of the third set. The Spanish let their last chances slip away when they failed to convert despite have two break point opportunities in the sixth game.

A beautifully placed return from Schwank earned Argentina their first match point of the tie. And it was all they needed, Verdasco helping them home when he dumped an easy forehand volley in the net to end the match.

Juan Martin Del Potro will have his hands full trying to score a vital point against the indefatigable Nadal in the first reverse singles rubber in Sunday. If - and that is a mountainous uncertainty - the world No. 11 can do what no other player has accomplished in a Davis Cup rubber, then there is a good likelihood that Tito Vazquez may deploy Nalbandian to take on Ferrer in what could turn out to be an epic final rubber.

Scores

David Nalbandian / Eduardo Schwank (ARG) d. Feliciano Lopez / Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 64 62 63