Davis Cup: Belgium locked 1-1 with Argentina in the semifinals

Argentina are playing their 10th semifinal in 14 years, although they have won only four of those ties and then lost each time in the final.

epa04937344 Leonardo Mayer of Argentina returns a ball during a Davis Cup World Group match between Belgium and Argentina, in Brussels, Belgium, 18 September 2015.

Belgium will meet either Great Britain or Australia in the finals.

Leonardo Mayer defeated Steve Darcis in four sets and nearly four hours to draw Argentina level with Belgium at 1-1 in their Davis Cup semifinal on Friday, after David Goffin had put the hosts ahead. The Scottish brothers had to come from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4, having wasted a set point in the fourth set.

The 39th-ranked Mayer hit 24 aces to Darcis’ 1 and took all risks as he converted 2 of 13 breakpoints after hitting 81 winners and 77 unforced errors in 3 hours, 52 minutes.

Switzerland leads 2-1 with second-ranked Federer due on court at Palexpo arena in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles against No. 144 De Bakker. Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek beat favorites Paes and Rohan Bopanna 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to give the Czechs the edge.

Rafael Nadal was also in action for Spain, helping the country to an unassailable 3-0 lead over Denmark in a second-tier relegation playoff.

In Sunday’s reverse singles, Belgium’s top player David Goffin will take on Mayer with Darcis scheduled to play against Federico Delbonis in a potentially decisive fifth match.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.