Argentina will be measured at home against Czech Republic during the March 4 and 5 of next year in the qualifying round for the final phase of the Davis Cup 2022, which will be played by 16 countries between November and December.
The European rival, which is ranked 18th in the ranking prepared by the competition, was determined in the draw that took place in the run-up to the final scheduled for this Sunday between Croatia and Russia in Madrid.
The series with the Czechs will mark the debut of new albiceleste captain, Guillermo Mago Coria, former world number three and participant in four Davis keys as a player between 2004 and 2005.
In the farewell to Gato Gastón Gaudio, his predecessor, Argentina beat Belarus 4-1 at home and secured a place in the qualifier that will be played by 24 national teams.
Qualifiers for the final phase of the Davis Cup
The other crosses were defined as follows: France (L) -Ecuador, Spain (L) -Romania, Belgium-Finland (L), United States (L) -Colombia, Canada-Netherlands (L), Germany-Brazil (L) , Italy-Slovakia (L), Australia-Hungary (L), Kazakhstan-Norway (L), Sweden-Japan (L) and Austria-South Korea (L).
The 12 classified in that instance will join Croatia and Russia, finalists 2021, Serbia and Great Britain, invited by the organization, for the dispute of the instance for the title, which will most likely be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, simultaneously to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina, champion of the 2016 edition, only was able to beat the Czechs once in all six matches they have recorded for the maximum tennis tournament at national level.
It was 5-0 in March 2005, on the brick dust of the Lawn Tennis Club of Buenos Aires, for the first round of the World Group, with points contributed by Agustín Calleri, the “Magician” Coria, Guillermo Cañas and David Nalbandian, the last protagonists of the doubles.
The rest of the antecedents were favorable for the Czechs: 3-2 in 1980 (Buenos Aires), 5-0 in 1987 (Prague), 3-2 in 2009 (Ostrava), 3-2 in 2012 (Buenos Aires) and 3 -2 in 2013 (Prague).
The Czech Republic was twice champion of the Davis as an independent nation (2012 and 2013) and won a title in 1980 when it was part of the former Czechoslovakia.
Currently, the European team has only one player in the top 100 of the ATP ranking: Jiri Vesely, 28, world number 83, winner of two tournaments on the professional circuit: Auckland 2015 and Pune 2020, both on fast and indoor courts. .
