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The Davis Cup quarterfinals get underway this weekend. Argentina visits Czech Republic. USA heads off to Croatia. Russia goes to Israel and Spain plays host to Germany.

Defending champion Spain has won its last 15 home ties and its last 17 on clay. It will put both streaks on the line against Germany, which it also defeated at the same stage in last year’s competition.

Argentina looks to reach the semifinals for the 6th time in 8 years against a Czech team that upset France in the 1st round and is bidding for a first Davis Cup semifinal since 1996.

Israel is attempting to reach a first-ever Davis Cup semifinal by defeating 2006 winner Russia, which has advanced to the last four in each of the last 4 years.

Croatia has won both of its previous Davis Cup ties against USA and 10 of its last 11 at home. Both nations are recent champions, Croatia winning in 2005, and USA in 2007.

All 4 of last year’s semifinalists are still alive in this year’s competition and could all advance to the semifinals, marking the first time since 1995 that the previous year’s semifinalists all returned to the last 4.

Israel and the Czech Republic are the two unseeded nations to reach the quarterfinals. Since the World Group was introduced in 1981, 27 unseeded nations have gone on to reach the semifinals. Two nations have done so on six occasions, most recently in 2007. This is the 29th year of the World Group.

In Europe/Africa Zone Group II, Marcos Baghdatis could extend his undefeated singles streak when playing for Cyprus vs. Ireland. He has won his last 21 Davis Cup singles rubbers, the joint-3rd longest streak behind Bjorn Borg (33) and Boris Becker (22). (For more details see Davis Cup Media Guide p. 161.)

CZECH REPUBLIC v ARGENTINA - Ostrava, CZE – hard (indoors)
Head-to-head: Czech Republic leads 2-1
Czech Republic will be looking to avenge a 5-0 defeat in its last Davis Cup meeting with Argentina. That meeting was a 2005 first-round clash and is the only success that the Argentineans have had in 3 Davis Cup ties between the two nations. All 3 previous matches have taken place on outdoor clay.

CROATIA v USA -   Porec, CRO –  clay (indoors)
Head-to-head: Croatia leads 2-0
Croatia bids to extend its unbeaten record against USA, having won both previous encounters between the two nations. In the last meeting in the 1st round in 2005, Ivan Ljubicic scored 3 points as Croatia produced a notable upset and went on to win the title.

ISRAEL v RUSSIA – Tel Aviv, Israel –  hard (indoors)
Head-to-head: Russia leads 1-0
Israel came within a set of victory before losing 3-2 in the 1984 European Zone Final. These two nations were the only ones to win away from home in the 1st round.

SPAIN v GERMANY – Marbella, ESP – clay (outdoors)
Head-to-head: Germany leads 9-5
A repeat of the 2008 quarterfinal. This is the 15th meeting between the two nations, which have both lifted the Davis Cup on 3 occasions. Although Germany leads the head-to-head series, Spain has won 3 of the last 4 meetings.