Del Potro, Stepanek to open Davis Cup World Group semi

Juan Martin del Potro and Radek Stepanek will meet in the first singles rubber of the Davis Cup World Group semi-final between Argentina and the Czech Republic, after the draw was made here on Thursday. Del Potro, ranked eighth in the world and the Argentine number one, will face 40th-ranked Stepanek on Friday morning at the Parque Roca venue, with Juan Monaco facing US Open semi-finalist Tomas Berdych later. On Saturday, Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank will face Berdych and Stepanek in the doubles, before the final two singles rubbers are staged on Sunday, with Del Potro against Berdych and Monaco against Stepanek. Argentina have never won the Davis Cup, but have been runners-up three times in the last six years, including defeats by Spain in 2008 and 2011. The Czech Republic lost the 2009 final to Spain.