Argentina's Davis Cup Hopes All On Juan Martin Del Potro Whether He Plays or Not

The Tower of Tandil, Juan Martin Del Potro, will cast a long shadow over Argentina's hopes against Croatia in the Davis Cup final in November. 

Argentina has never won a Davis Cup championship, and whether it does depends largely on Del Potro—the country's best and most feared player.

Last Saturday, Del Potro defeated Andy Murray in a five-set classic to help lead Argentina to a 3-2 win over Great Britain in the 2016 Davis Cup semifinals. The win puts Argentina in the finals for the first time since 2011.

Although Del Potro won just one rubber and did not play in the decisive fifth match, his presence kept the British guessing and impacted the outcome of the tie.

Sure, teammates Guido Pella and Leonardo Mayer may have been able to pull off the win without Del Potro. Perhaps they could even get by the likes of Croatia's Marin Cilic and Borna Coric. However, Del Potro in the lineup multiplies their chances. 

Del Potro's win over Murray immediately changed the dynamic of that tie against the British. By beating Murray, Del Potro took pressure off Pella, who defeated Kyle Edmund to give Argentina a 2-0 lead.

The British evened the tie after Murray and his older brother Jamie defeated Del Potro and Mayer in doubles. Then Murray beat Pella 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in singles.

Going into the third day, the British assumed Del Potro would play singles. Meanwhile, Del Potro had already alerted the press that he was questionable at best. Dan Quarrell of EuroSport, quoted Del Potro as saying, "I want to play for many years, not one more match. I did not expect to play eight hours over two days—it's a lot for me right now, I'm trying to get back slowly."

Still, reporters wondered if this was a mere bluff. 

The Argentines admitted later that it was a strategic move to stay quiet about Del Potro's status. "We had to keep it to ourselves until the last moment so Great Britain were thinking a little bit, but we knew from last night that Mayer would play," Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic told the BBC. 

Although Del Potro would remain courtside the rest of the tie, he had already made his mark. Murray had won 20 consecutive matches in Davis Cup play before losing to Del Potro.

The No. 2 player on the ATP World Tour, Murray played in three matches last year to help Great Britain win its first Davis Cup title in 79 years. He cemented his standing as Great Britain's tennis hero by carrying the nation on his back.

Many expected Del Potro to do the same. But the Del Potro-Murray match took five hours and seven minutes—the longest match in Murray's career. 

Later, Del Potro played doubles, in hopes of wrapping up the tie on Day 2. The eight hours on the court took its toll, and Del Potro took himself out.

When asked about Del Potro's decision to sit out the final rubber, Murray told the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell:

"

I was surprised, but I think it’s understandable. He’s had so many injury problems that everyone is forgetting about. He’s hardly played tennis for the last three years and he knows his body...His decision should be respected more than anyone else, because he’s worked so hard to get back in the position he’s in now, playing against the best players in the world, and beating them. His decision should 100% respected here, because he’s been through a lot, and none of us knows what that’s like.

"

Del Potro's comeback has been tentative. Once ranked as high as No. 4, Del Potro is now ranked No. 64, up from earlier this year when he was outside the top 1,000. Multiple wrist injuries derailed his once-stellar career that includes an upset win over Roger Federer to capture the 2009 U.S. Open title. 

On several occasions Del Potro has stated he thought about retiring from tennis, according to Agencia EFE, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Luigi Gatto of Tennis World USA). But this year, he eased back into the tour. 

After his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the 2016 U.S. Open quarterfinals, Del Potro told reporters (via ASAP Sports transcripts), "I just want to stay healthy and keep working to get my physic back, and I will see. Now, after here, I have Davis Cup. I will try to recover myself to be 100 percent in Glasgow."

He's 14-5 in Davis Cup play. When Spain defeated Argentina in 2011, Del Potro lost to Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer in singles. That rubber was in Seville, Spain, on clay, against Nadal and Ferrer in their prime. In fact, three of Del Potro's five Davis Cup singles losses have come against Spain.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Argentina reached the semifinals with Del Potro playing only one doubles match in the quarterfinal tie against Italy. But there's something about having the big guy around. Whether it calls on him or not, Del Potro is Argentina's X-factor. 

Without Del Potro's win over Murray, Argentina doesn't get by Great Britain. Could the team upend Croatia without him? Perhaps. But keep in mind that Del Potro defeated Cilic and Ivo Karlovic in Argentina's 2012 Davis Cup clash against Croatia.  

Even if he only feels healthy enough to play one match, doubles or singles, Del Potro is Argentina's best hope to bring home its first Davis Cup title.