The Argentinians were clearly the better opponent as they achieved a sweeping 5-0 home victory over the Germans in the first round of Davis Cup 2013. They will be facing France in the quarterfinals.
Everything was going according to the spectators’ desires in Buenos Aires this weekend as Juan Monaco and Carlos Berlocq won both of their singles matches on a clay court, while David Nalbandian and Horacio Zeballos added a doubles victory against Tobias Kamke and Christopher Kas on Saturday.
The opening match was rather unfortunate for the Germans. Philipp Kohlschreiber was performing well against Berlocq and was leading after three sets, yet the Argentine leveled the terms and the players entered the decider. The 19th-ranked German veteran missed three break balls that could have taken him 5-3 up in the fifth set. He then held a service game for a 5-4 advantage, but was forced to retire due to a hamstring injury. The result: 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 4-5 ret.
In the second Friday’s clash Wolrd No. 28 Florian Mayer outsmarted 12th-ranked Monaco in the first set tie-break, but the latter bounced back easily to seize three sets in a row and claim a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
In the doubles clash the Germans were hanging by a thread as they found themselves trailing by two sets. They pulled one back, yet it was the last set they would take for the rest of the weekend. Nalbandian and Zeballos completed their mission and booked a quarterfinal ticket for their team. The doubles score: 6-1, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
The Sunday’s matches were thus hardly more than exhibitions, yet the home fans were glad to see their idols deliver another couple of victories:
Monaco – Kamke: 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Berlocq – Kas: 6-2, 6-4.
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