Dutch Cling To Hopes Of Upsetting Czechs

KAZAKHSTAN 2, ARGENTINA 1

Astana, Kazakhstan (Indoor clay)

Defending Davis Cup champion Argentina’s hopes of maintaining its spot in the World Group for the 17th consecutive year are in jeopardy, as Kazakhstan’s Timur Khabibulin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov beat Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to earn a 2-1 lead in the tie. The defending champions will turn to US Open quarter-finalist Diego Schwartzman to keep his nation’s hopes alive in the fourth rubber against Mikhail Kukushkin. Argentina looks to avoid becoming the third nation to win the Davis Cup before getting relegated from the World Group the next year. If Schwartzman wins, World No. 73 Guido Pella is scheduled to play #NextGenATP Dmitry Popko.

NETHERLANDS 1, CZECH REPUBLIC 2

The Hague, Netherlands (Indoor clay)

The Dutch clinged to their hopes of returning to the World Group when US Open quarter-finalists Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop got by Roman Jebavy and Adam Pavlasek, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-4. If Netherlands is to overcome an 0-2 deficit for just the second time in its history, Haase will have to defeat left-hander Jiri Vesely on Sunday in the tie’s fourth rubber, to force a decider against the three-time champions. Two ATP World Tour veterans, Thiemo de Bakker and Lukas Rosol, await in what could possibly be a deciding fifth rubber.

HUNGARY 2, RUSSIA 1

Budapest, Hungary (Outdoor clay)

Russia is in jeopardy of missing out on World Group play for the fifth time in six years after Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics and Attila Balazs defeated Konstantin Kravchuk and #NextGenATP Danill Medvedev, 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-6(4). Fucsovics will attempt to book his nation’s spot in the competition’s elite group for the first time since 1996 as he plays #NextGenATP Karen Khachanov in the first reverse singles on Sunday. If the World No. 32 could keep Russia’s hopes alive, US Open quarter-finalist Andrey Rublev is slated to take on Balazs.

SWITZERLAND 1, BELARUS 2

Biel, Switzerland (Indoor hard)

40-year-old Max Mirnyi earned a win in his 55th career tie, partnering Wimbledon quarter-finalist Andrei Vasilevski to defeat Davis Cup rookies Adrian Bodmer and Luca Margaroli, 7-6(6), 7-6(4), 7-6(3). World No. 115 Henri Laaksonen will attempt to force a fifth rubber Sunday when he takes on No. 333 Dzmitry Zhyrmont. If the 25 year old keeps the 2014 champions alive, ATP World Tour veteran Marco Chiudinelli will seek to finish off the comeback against Yaraslav Shyla.

PORTUGAL 1, GERMANY 2

Lisbon, Portugal (Outdoor clay)

The Portuguese were within a set of gaining a 2-1 lead in the tie as the hosts attempt to join the World Group for the first time, but the German duo of Tim Puetz and Jan-Lennard Struff came back to defeat Gastao Elias and Joao Sousa, 6-2, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, in three hours, 37 minutes. Struff will try to clinch a German World Group Play-off victory for the third year in a row when he takes on Sousa. Should the World No. 57 force a decider, Pedro Sousa will look to become the hero against No. 90 Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.

COLOMBIA 1, CROATIA 2

Bogota, Colombia (Outdoor clay)

It appeared that World No. 5 Marin Cilic would be playing on Sunday to keep Croatia in the World Group, but after he and Nikola Mektic pulled off a tremendous comeback to shock Juan Sebastian Cabal and Alejandro Falla, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, Cilic will instead have an opportunity to close out the tie against ATP World Tour Veteran Santiago Giraldo. Should the 2014 US Open champion fail to seal his nation’s spot in the 2018 World Group, Viktor Galovic or Franko Skugor will compete in the decider against Alejandro Gonzalez.

JAPAN 2, BRAZIL 0

Osaka, Japan (Outdoor hard)

Torrential rain in Osaka forced the doubles rubber to be postponed to Sunday. The Japanese duo of Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama will face Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares, prior to reverse singles action.

CANADA 1, INDIA 1

Edmonton, Canada (Indoor hard)