David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas beat Jonas Bjorkman and Robert Lindstedt 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 to give Argentina a 2-1 lead over Sweden in their Davis Cup quarterfinal on Saturday.
"This was a crucial point. Without this doubles victory, things would have gotten very complicated," Argentina team captain Alberto Mancini said. "Our players entered the court playing very solidly, very confidently."
Argentina has won 11 straight Davis Cup ties at home since 1998. The winner will face Russia or the Czech Republic in the semifinals.
The Argentines, supported by a crowd of more than 10,000 at Parque Roca tennis stadium, broke their Swedish foes once in each of the first two sets before dropping serve for the first time in the third. It compensated in the third with two more breaks of service.
Mancini cited Canas as the key to victory.
"Willy really played a great match and he played well and served well from the start," Mancini said. "It was a very even match. The Swedes played very well most of the time, but our team was very solid."
The Argentines broke Lindstedt for a 6-5 lead and served out for the set. In the second set, Argentina broke Bjorkman to go ahead 5-4 and then closed it out, after Sweden saved six set points, on Canas' serve.
Bjorkman again was the victim early in the third set, broke to put Argentina ahead 2-1.
An exchange of breaks between Canas and Lindstedt, in which both double faulted, left Argentina with a 5-4 lead. Nalbandian then closed out the victory.
"It was a very close match and it turned only on a few points," Lindstedt said. "They took their chances better than we did."
Captain Mats Wilander said Sweden will have to regain the momentum on Sunday.
"Nalbandian is very good in singles and in doubles, and Canas served very well," Wilander said. "But there is no reason that we cannot win tomorrow's two singles."
Nalbandian, who didn't serve well Friday in his four-set victory over Thomas Johansson, said he felt more in form Saturday.
"This was such a big point and the support of the crowd really helped move us a long," said Nalbandian, who repeatedly used hand gestures to spur on the raucous crowd. "It was a pleasure to win this point for Argentina."
Sweden and Argentina are playing each other for a fourth time, and for the third straight year.
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