Russia Favourite for Davis Cup
30 November, 2006
HOST Russia rolls out the carpet indoors for Argentina on Friday as host of the World Group Final of the Davis Cup.
Russia, captained by Shamil Tarpischev, is $1.33 favourite at IASbet to win the prestigious men’s team event for the second time. Russia’s maiden win came in 2002 and last year the Russians lost in the semi-final to eventual champion Croatia.
Both countries have named unchanged line-ups from their semi-final successes, when Russia defeated arch-rivals USA 3-2 and Argentina produced a hostile arena when outclassing 28-time champion Australia in a 5-0 whitewash.
In the red corner for Russia is Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov, Mikhail Youzhny and Marat Safin, while in the blue corner for Argentina is David Nalbandian, Jose Acasuso, Agustin Calleri and Juan Ignacio Chela.
Argentina is the $3.25 outsider on IASbet as the country seeks its first Davis Cup triumph.
The South American country had reached the semi-finals in three of the past four years before taking the next step in 2006.
It equals Argentina’s previous best performance of 1981, when led by Guillermo Vilas, the dogged Argentineans pushed the mighty McEnroe-led USA all the way.
The two countries have met three times in Davis Cup history, with the ledger 2-1 in favor of Russia.
In the 1985 World Cup relegation play-off first round in Argentina on clay and the 2002 World Group semi-final in Russia on carpet, Russia defeated Argentina 3-2.
However, in the 2003 World Group quarter-final in Argentina on clay, the host demolished Russia 5-0.
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