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Argentina is close to avenging its 2006 final loss against Russia.

Argentina is close to avenging its 2006 final loss against Russia. After taking a 2-0 lead Friday in the Davis Cup semifinals.

Juan Martin del Potro dismantled sixth-ranked Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the second singles match to put Argentina one win away from the final, after seventh-ranked David Nalbandian beat Russian Igor Andreev in the first match.

The 19-year old Del Potro – whose ranking has soared from 81st to 13th since April after a 23-match winning streak – secured a comfortable 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory while Nalbandian won 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4.

Playing his first home match in the Davis Cup, Del Potro showed no signs of nerves in front of the raucous sellout crowd of 14,000, making Davydenko hustle for nearly every point.

Davydenko responded with several errors at the end of long rallies, and Del Potro broke his serve in the fourth and sixth game to secure the first set. The Argentine then took a 4-1 lead in the second and was able to hold on after Davydenko managed a break of his own.

The Russian was broken again in the first and fifth games of the third set.

“I had a great debut and I hope we win one more point and get to the finals,” Del Potro said. “The support of the crowd made some really nerve-racking moments easier.”

Nalbandian won his first set after rallying from 4-1 down in the tiebreaker, before getting two breaks in the second. The third set went with service up to 5-4, before Nalbandian broke to clinch the match.

Nalbandian now has a 26-6 Davis Cup record, and has never lost a home match since his debut in 2002.

Argentine captain Alberto Mancini changed his lineup for Saturday’s doubles, with Nalbandian replacing Agustin Calleri to pair up with Guillermo Canas against Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn and Dimitry Tursunov.

Mancini said Nalbandian was still fresh after the singles and preferred to keep the same duo that played in the last Davis Cup matches.

Argentina has not lost at home in 10 years, winning 12 straight ties, but has never won the Davis Cup. Russia beat Argentina in the Davis Cup final in 2006.

The winner will face either Spain or defending champion United States.

Spain, which has not lost a clay court Davis Cup series in nine years, led the U.S. 2-0 after Friday’s singles.