Davis Cup - Argentina vs. Kazakhstan

Argentina aim to end Kazakhstan's fairytale Davis Cup run when they meet in the quarter-finals this weekend.

The lesson to be learned from the past year of Davis Cup action is not to underestimate Kazakhstan. Once the minnows of this competition, they destroyed a Swiss side badly missing Roger Federer, 5-0 in last autumn's World Group playoffs and stunned everyone by beating former finalists the Czech Republic 3-2 in March. Many thought Tomas Berdych's presence would ensure a comfortable win for the Czechs but he was outplayed by Andrey Golubev in the reverse singles as the Kazakhs went on to seal a famous win. World number 45 Golubev has produced some of the best tennis of his career in this competition, boasting a 14-2 win-loss record. He's been ably backed up by Mikhail Kukushkin who beat Stanislas Wawrinka in the playoffs and won the fifth rubber against the Czechs.

However Argentina at home in front of a partisan Bueno Aires crowd is one of the toughest challenges in the Davis Cup. They have Juan Martin Del Potro in action for them as well, a man who spearheaded his country to the 2008 final.

Not only that but the veteran Juan Ignacio Chela has been playing some of the best tennis of his career recently, at the age of 31. Chela matched his best ever Grand Slam performance last month by reaching the French Open quarter-finals for a second time.

Kazakhstan will do well to keep this tie alive past the second day but then again, I've said that before !