Safin leads Russia to 3-2 win over Argentina

Marat Safin overpowered Argentine substitute Jose Acasuso 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6 in a nerve-racking fifth and decisive rubber to clinch the Davis Cup title for Russia yesterday.

Russia, undefeated at home since the 1995 final, beat Argentina 3-2 to win their second Davis Cup following their Paris triumph in 2002.

Argentine number one David Nalbandian had overwhelmed Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the first reverse singles to level the three-day final at Moscow's Olympic arena at 2-2.

In the decider, Safin secured the first set with a single break of serve but Acasuso, who replaced Juan Ignacio Chela in the Argentine line-up for the reverse singles, returned the favour in the second set by breaking the former world number one in the sixth game.

The big Russian nudged ahead once again in the third set but the 24-year-old Argentine, who made his Davis Cup debut earlier this year, fought back after taking a medical time-out to treat his right foot at the end of the fifth game.

Acasuso regained his composure after a short break and won a long rally after a great defensive display, hitting a shot between his legs to the delight of several hundred noisy Argentine supporters including former soccer World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona.

Safin would not be denied, however, as the former Australian and US Open champion broke in the eighth game to take the third set.

With no breaks of serve in the fourth set, Safin, urged on by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the rest of the partisan, 10,000-strong home crowd, won a tiebreaker 7-5 to secure victory after two hours 50 minutes and start wild celebrations by the hosts.

Safin conceded that if the match had gone into a fifth set he probably would have lost. "I must say that we had some doubts who to play in the last match," he said. "I've had pain in my heel and my legs are almost dead, so if we had to play the fifth set I would not have lasted long."

Davis Cup finals last 10 years

2005 Croatia beat Slovakia 3-2
2004 Spain beat US 3-2
2003 Australia beat Spain 3-1
2002 Russia beat France 3-2
2001 France beat Australia 3-2
2000 Spain beat Australia 3-1
1999 Australia beat France 3-2
1998 Sweden beat Italy 4-1
1997 Sweden beat US 5-0
1996 France beat Sweden 3-2