Unsung Argentina wins World team title

DUSSELDORF, Germany, May 25 (UPI) -- Not much was expected from Argentina this week, but the wild card entrant turned plenty of heads by sweeping Russia in Saturday's final to win its second ATP World Team Championship.

Jose Acasuso and Guillermo Canas showed their superior claycourt skills in victories against the higher-ranked Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, respectively.

Acasuso overcame a first set loss to Safin and was leading 2-6, 6-3, 3-0 when the Russian called it quits with a stiff lower back. Acasuso had struggled in the first set but gained control in the second.

Canas had an even easier time against Kafelinkov, 6-4, 6-2.

Lucas Arnold and Gaston Etlis completed the sweep with a 6-4, 6-1 doubles win over Andrei Cherkasov and Kafelnikov.

Argentina won the title for the second time and first since 1980. It appeared in a final for the first time since 1989 when Boris Becker led Germany to victory.

"When we came here we thought we had a chance to win the tournament, but we didn't expect this result," Canas said. "We will be here next year to try to win the title again."

Argentina was granted a wild card into the tournament when Croatia opted to pull out due to Goran Ivanisevic's shoulder injury.

Both Russia and Argentina played in their third WTC final.

Russia came out a loser in all three appearances -- to Australia last year and Slovakia the year before.