BUENOS AIRES, March 6 (UPI) -- Juan Ignacio Chela survived a five-set match Friday giving Argentina a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five, first-round David Cup match with The Netherlands.
Argentina was the 2008 Davis Cup runner-up and is playing this weekend without stars Juan Martin del Potro and David Nalbandian. But behind wins by Chela and Juan Monaco, Argentina is one win away from advancing to the 2009 Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Chela claimed a see-saw 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 decision from Jesse Huta Galung that took nearly four hours on the red clay court in Buenos Aires. Chela overcame seven double faults and 49 unforced errors to win the match.
Monaco dominated Thiemo de Bakker, 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1), in picking up his win. He dropped his serve just once and fired 50 winners against 26 unforced errors in the match.
Argentina will be looking to sew up a quarterfinals berth Saturday when the doubles team of Lucas Arnold Ker and Martin Vassallo Arguello go against the Dutch team of Huta Galung and Rogier Wassen.
The Netherlands-Argentina winner would face the survivor of a Czech Republic-France first-round series in the Davis Cup quarterfinals July 10-12.
