Argentina clinch World Team Cup with stunning fightback

DUESSELDORF, Germany, May 26 (Reuters) Argentina came back from the brink to snatch a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic and capture the World Team Cup for the third time today.

Tomas Berdych gave the Czechs the first point in the final with a 3-6 6-3 7-6 win over clay-court specialist Juan Ignacio Chela before Agustin Calleri took the tie into the deciding doubles by beating Jan Hajek 6-3 6-1.

Czech pair Berdych and Martin Damm were cruising towards victory as they led by a set and 4-2 only for Calleri and Jose Acasuso to launch a great fightback.

They reeled off the next four games to set up a match tiebreak and won it convincingly to seal a 2-6 6-4 10-4 victory, with an emphatic Acasuso volley on the first matchpoint.

It gave Argentina their third World Team Cup title following victories in 1980 and 2002.

For the Czech Republic it was a fourth defeat from four appearances in the final.

REUTERS RN KP2326