How They Got Here: Chronicling Argentina's run to the Davis Cup final

Argentina has had a Davis Cup team since 1921, and in the 62 years it’s competed it’s never won the whole thing. It’s been runner-up four times—in 1981, 2006, 2008 and 2011—and will attempt to avoid that same fate and end its drought this weekend when it takes on Croatia in the Davis Cup final.

The Argentinian team, captained by Daniel Orsanic, is led by Juan Martin del Potro, the ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year. He’ll try to make history alongside teammates Federico Delbonis, Guido Pella and Leonardo Mayer. The Croatian team—consisting of Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Borna Coric and Ivan Dodig—will have the home-court advantage at Arena Zagreb.

But make no mistake: The Argentinians are determined and talented, and they’ll be a tough out. Before we look forward to the upcoming final, let’s look back at how Orsanic’s squad got here.

FIRST ROUND

Sixth-seeded Argentina came into 2016 with fairly high expectations after reaching the semifinals in 2015, and it opened its campaign on the road against an unseeded Polish team. Playing without Del Potro, who had returned to the ATP tour less than a month earlier, the Argentinians would have their work cut out for them. Pella opened the tie with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Michal Przysiezny, and Mayer beat Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. Poland wouldn’t go down without a fight, though. Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski beat Carlos Berlocq and Renzo Olivo in doubles, but Mayer sealed the win for Argentina with a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3 victory over Przysiezny.

QUARTERFINALS

Argentina faced a much stiffer test in mid-July when it traveled to Pesaro to take on a gritty Italian team, but this time around it brought some heavy artillery in the form of Del Potro. The former U.S. Open champion was limited to doubles action, but his presence was felt. Argentina jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Delbonis ousted Andreas Seppi in four sets, but Fabio Fognini’s decisive win over Juan Monaco leveled the tie. In the all-important doubles rubber, Del Potro­—making his 2016 Davis Cup debut—and Pella knocked off Fognini and Paolo Lorenzi in a 6-1, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 thriller. Up 2-1, Delbonis knocked off Fognini in four sets to send the Argentinians to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.

SEMIFINALS

Riding high from its first two wins, the Argentinians faced a daunting task against defending-champion Great Britain in Glasgow. The top-seeded Brits, who snapped a 79-year drought in 2015, appeared to still be running on adrenaline from last year’s triumph. Confident as ever, they had Andy Murray, arguably the top singles player in the world, and his brother, Jamie, a brilliant doubles specialist. But for the first time all year, Orsanic would unleash Del Potro in singles play, and that would prove to be the difference. Del Potro set the tone for the weekend with a marathon five-set upset of Andy Murray in the first rubber. Smelling blood, Pella capitalized on the momentum and beat Kyle Edmund to put Great Britain on the brink of elimination. Playing to save their season, the Murray brothers beat Del Potro and Mayer handily to force a fourth rubber, and Andy Murray followed that up with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 pasting of Pella. With a trip to the final on the line, Orsanic put Argentina’s season in the hands of Mayer. He delivered, overcoming Daniel Evans, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, after dropping the first set. Argentina was into the Davis Cup final for the first time in five years.