Del Potro sends Argentina into Davis Cup final

By Brian Homewood

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Teenager Juan Martin del Potro demolished Igor Andreev in straight sets on Sunday to give Argentina a 3-2 win over Russia and send them into a Davis Cup final against Spain.

Del Potro, two days short of his 20th birthday and playing his first home Davis Cup tie, won 6-4 6-2 6-1 as Argentina avenged their 2006 final defeat by the same opponents.

Earlier, Nikolay Davydenko hauled the Russians back into the tie by beating a tired David Nalbandian 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-0.

Argentina, who led 2-0 on Friday, will host Spain in November's final after chalking up their 13th successive home win, a run stretching back to 1998.

Nalbandian's defeat, only his fourth in 20 Davis Cup singles and his first at home, left an eerie silence over the Parque Roca court, but Del Potro quickly restored the crowd's enthusiasm by winning the first set.

Andreev had no answer to Del Potro's ground strokes and, after both players lost their opening service games in the second set, Del Potro broke in the fifth game and again in the seventh when Andreev sent a forehand into the net.

Growing in confidence, Del Potro, who also beat Davydenko in straight sets on Friday, was even more dominant as he polished off the third set in only 32 minutes, finishing the tie when Andreev overhit a forehand.