BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)—David Nalbandian defeated Adrian Ungur 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 on Friday to give Argentina a 1-0 lead over Romania in the first round of the Davis Cup.
Nalbandian said later that a recurring groin strain and a leg injury from the match might keep him out of Sunday’s reverse singles.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “It would be a lack of respect to my teammates to play if I am not fit.”
Nalbandian broke Ungur decisively in the eighth game of the first set. The Argentine won the second just as easily. Ungur rallied to win the third, but Nalbandian imposed himself in the fourth set despite nursing the sore groin.
In the second singles, Juan Monaco was scheduled to face Victor Hanescu.
Nalbandian seemed to aggravate his groin injury in the third game of the fourth set as he stretched to reach a shot at the net. He hunched over, and then got up and walked away haltingly. He limped a few other times during the set.
“Davis Cup is something special and the power one gets from it is something special,” he told the crowd, holding back tears.
Ungur, who was unexpectedly chosen ahead of Victor Crivoi, said Nalbandian looked as strong as ever.
“I realized that he was having problems, but he still seemed to get to all the balls,” said Ungur, who made his Davis Cup debut last year and is playing in his first series away from home.
“I’ve never played before such a noisy crowd,” he added. “You can tell they are Latins. Passionate.”
Nalbandian improved his Davis Cup singles record to 21-6 and has won 11 of 12 matches played in Argentina.
The former Wimbledon finalist skipped last week’s Mexican Open with the groin injury, which he picked up two weeks ago in a loss to Tommy Robredo in an ATP clay-court event in Buenos Aires.
Argentina beat host Romania in their only previous meeting, in 1981.
Neither team has won the Davis Cup. Both have lost three finals—Argentina in 1981, 2006 and 2008, and Romania in 1969, ’71 and ’72.