New York: After 25 years, Argentina will get another shot at the Davis Cup.
Jose Acasuso put in 20 minutes of work to polish off Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri joined together to clinch it in the doubles, giving the South American nation an unassailable 3-0 lead over Australia and earning it a trip to the final for the first time since 1981.
"Argentina deserves this victory," Jose Luis Clerc, who with Guillermo Vilas played for Argentina in its only other Davis Cup title tie, said.
"We are living through an incredible moment, a big fiesta, and the best way to finish the party would be by winning the Davis Cup. With this team we can beat any team on any surface."
Argentina, which lost to John McEnroe and the Americans a quarter century ago, will face either the United States or Russia.
The Americans staved off elimination in the other semi-final on Saturday when Bob and Mike Bryan beat Mikhail Youzhny and Dmitry Tursunov 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in doubles, leaving Russia with a 2-1 lead.
Acasuso completed a 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory that was suspended on Friday by rain. Nalbandian then combined with Calleri to beat Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 for Argentina's victory.
In World Group qualifying play on Saturday, Austria eliminated Mexico and the Czech Republic dispatched the Netherlands to assure themselves of playing among next year's elite with clinching doubles victories.
Switzerland took a 2-1 lead over Serbia, Spain went ahead 2-1 over Italy, Germany did likewise against Thailand, and Belgium moved ahead of Slovakia entering Sunday's reverse singles.
Romania's and South Korea's doubles match was rained out, leaving them tied 1-1, and Flavio Saretta beat Andreas Vinciguerra 6-4, 1-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to give Brazil a 1-0 lead over Sweden.
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But after rain wiped out Friday's play, Saturday's four-hour match and fading light prohibited further play and may force a Monday conclusion.
In Buenos Aires, Acasuso, ranked 25th by ATP, led 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 4-0 when play was suspended on Friday by driving rain and wind. He returned on Saturday to complete the victory before a raucous capacity crowd of 14,500 on the outdoor clay of Parque Roca stadium.
With the crowd chanting "Ole! Ole!" Nalbandian and Calleri used an artful array of powerful smashes, overhead lobs and volleys to subdue Arthurs and Hanley.
The Argentines broke Australia to take a 6-5 lead in the third set, and served out for the victory with a final overhead smash.
In Moscow, the Bryan brothers won for the ninth time in their last 10 Davis Cup matches to give Americans hope.
Russia had put the United States on the verge of elimination on Friday, when Marat Safin dispatched US Open finalist Andy Roddick in straight sets and Youzhny beat James Blake in the opening singles matches on a sluggish clay court at Olympic Stadium.
"Andy and James kept coming up to us and saying, 'Give us a chance, give us another shot, let us redeem ourselves.' And that's kind of what we went into the match thinking all the time," Bob Bryan said.
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