With a powerful line-up featuring Nikolay Davydenko, Marat Safin and Dmitry Tursunov, Russia are considered the overwhelming favourites when they host Argentina in this weekend's Davis Cup final.
Team insiders say, however, that Russia's secret weapon could be their 58-year-old non-playing captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who has more than three decades of coaching experience in major international competitions.
The Russian is fast approaching the Davis Cup record of former Australia captain Neale Fraser who collected 49 wins as he led his side to four Davis Cup titles in the 1970s and 1980s. Tarpishchev, who doubles as Russia's Fed Cup captain, has chalked up 41 victories in 62 Davis Cup ties. He has also won 24 of 33 Fed Cup matches.
"This must be some kind of record, worthy of being in the Guinness Book of Records," Tarpishchev, who keeps a log of all his matches on the bench, told Reuters. "I don't think anybody else has more wins," said the man dubbed a "tennis genius" by US captain Patrick McEnroe after Russia beat his team 3-2 in this year's Davis Cup semi-finals.
Although the International Tennis Federation (ITF) does not keep official statistics for team captains in Davis or Fed Cup play, Tarpishchev has reached several coaching milestones. Two years ago, the Muscovite became only the third person to win both trophies, matching the feat of Frenchmen Yannick Noah and Guy Forget, when Russia beat a Forget-led France 3-2 in the Moscow final to clinch their maiden Fed Cup crown.
UNIQUE DOUBLE: Tarpishchev also got the better of his old rival Forget in 2002 when he steered Russia to their first Davis Cup triumph, edging France 3-2 in the Paris final. Last year, Russia successfully defended their Fed Cup crown, again overcoming France 3-2 in the final at Roland Garros.
Tarpishchev, however, narrowly missed a unique double of winning both titles in the same year after losing to eventual winners Croatia 3-2 in the Davis Cup semi-finals in Zagreb. If Russia win the final, he would become the first captain to guide his country to both Fed and Davis Cup titles more than once.
Tarpishchev said he began plotting strategy for the Argentina clash the minute Tursunov beat Andy Roddick in an epic five-set battle to put Russia into the Davis Cup final. "Choosing the right surface is crucial to winning the tie," said Tarpishchev, who needs five more Davis or Fed Cup ties to reach a century mark in the coach's chair.
"The hosts always have an advantage because they can pick the surface that gives them the biggest edge." The Russians laid a slow clay court at Moscow's Olympic arena to host the Americans, mainly to neutralise the speed and power of Roddick's booming serve, and will use a fast carpet surface against the clay-court specialists from South America.
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