3 Sep 2011

Argentine stars to play in Davis Cup semi-finals

6:38 am on 3 September 2011

Tennis stars Juan Martin del Potro and David Nalbandian will line up for Argentina in the Davis Cup for the first time since they lost the 2008 final to Spain in the team named to face holders Serbia in this month's semi-finals.

Argentina's top two players are joined by Juan Monaco and Juan Ignacio Chela in captain Modesto Vazquez's team for the September the 16th-18th tie in Belgrade.

There is one change from the team that beat Kazakhstan 5-0 in the quarter-final in Buenos Aires in July, with Nalbandian returning from injury and doubles specialist Eduardo Schwank dropped.

That tie was 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro's first appearance for Argentina in two years following wrist surgery that put him out of action for most of last year.

The players will fly direct to Belgrade from New York, where they are playing in the U.S. Open, with Vazquez quoted in La Nacion as saying their progress at Flushing Meadows was "positive for their confidence" going into the meeting with Serbia.

The winners of the tie will go through to the final against Spain or France.