Argentina book place in Davis Cup semifinals

Buenos Aires, April 9 (IANS) Four-time Davis Cup runners-up Argentina have entered the semifinals of the 2012 edition, beating Croatia 4-1 at home.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, ranked 10th in the world, crushed Croatia's Marin Cilic, ranked 23rd, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1 at Parque Roca's outdoor clay courts in Buenos Aires to end the three-day quarterfinal Sunday.

The duel began Friday at Mary Teran de Weiss stadium, which was packed with 14,500 spectators on each of the three days, Xinhua reported.

In the men's singles, Juan Monaco (ranked 16th) beat Antonio Veic (150) 6-1, 6-1.

Saturday, Cilic beat David Nalbandian (50) 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2) and 6-3 in a match that lasted more than five hours.

In the following match, Del Potro, still suffering from a stomach ailment, beat Ivo Karlovic (52) 6-2, 7-6 (7) and 6-1.

In another five-hour match Saturday, the Nalbandian-Eduardo Schwank doubles team defeated the team of Cilic-Karlovic 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-7 (6) and 8-6.

Argentina will face the Czech Republic in semi-finals Sept 14-16, also in Buenos Aires.

The other semi-final will see Spain, which beat Austria 4-1, play the United States (France, 3-2).