Davis Cup: Argentina and Kazakhstan 1-1 in playoff

Posted September 15, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin returns a shot to Argentina's Guido Pella during their a Davis Cup play-off tennis match in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Stas Filippov) The Associated Press

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) - Argentina and Kazakhstan finished the first day of their Davis Cup World Group playoff at 1-1 on Friday.

Kazakh veteran leader Mikhail Kukushkin lost the first set against Guido Pella but responded strongly to win the opening singles 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in nearly four hours.

Pella was consistently strong in the first two sets before mistakes crept into his game, the Argentine posting 23 unforced errors in the fourth against 14 for Kukushkin.

Diego Schwartzman, ranked 28th in the world, cruised through the second rubber against 196th-ranked Dmitry Popko to level the overall score, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in just under 2 hours.

Argentina won last year's title, but dropped into the playoffs this year after losing to Italy in the first round.

Kazakhstan, which dropped out of the World Group last year, reached the playoffs by defeating China.

Argentina's Guido Pella returns a shot to Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin during their Davis Cup play-off tennis match in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Stas Filippov) The Associated Press

Argentina's fans cheer before the Davis Cup play-off tennis match between Argentina's Guido Pella and Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Stas Filippov) The Associated Press

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