It wasnt so long ago that ultra-talented Argentine tennis teams were better known for their collapses and the bickering and political infighting that impacted morale at every turn.Right in the middle of the controversy was Juan Martin del Potro. An emerging star, he had a running feud with the more established but cankerous David Nalbandian. A Davis Cup stalwart in the same league as John McEnroe and Andy Roddick, Nalbandian was the dominant leader of the Argentinian team in his time. He had the backing of the tennis establishment as well as the public. But his King David status didnt sit well with everyone, including del Potro.When it became clear that del Potro wasnt quite as all-in for Davis Cup, especially with Nalbandian playing a large role in team decisions, the friction increased. The testy relationship of the two stars became a long-running national sporting soap opera.But this weekend, in the Davis Cup final, which will played at the Zagreb Arena in Croatia, del Potro has a chance to put this behind him and lead Argentina to its first title. Recovering from another long injury hiatus -- and the depression and anxiety that accompanied it -- del Potro leaped 1,004 places in the ATP rankings to finish at No. 38.Ive had a great year, del Potro told reporters Tuesday in Zagreb. I [need to have] a good weekend. We are confident. Its a very special moment for us, and we are very, very positive.That positive frame of mind is never a given when it comes to Argentinas Davis Cup team. The squad has featured some outsized talents, starting Guillermo Vilas. The other Davis Cup luminaries include Nalbandian, Jose-Luis Clerc, Guillermo Coria, Martin Jaite and Juan Ignacio Chela. Yet all have failed to lead the team to the land of milk and money. For Argentina, a nation with a hyper-enthusiastic fan base, the repeated Davis Cup failures border on a national embarrassment.The team will play its fifth final. Ten other teams that have also been in five or more finals, and all have won at least once.Davis Cup has been one of the furthest things from del Potros mind in recent years. He has played just six Davis Cup matches in four ties since 2011.So here we are. Del Potro is healthy, and Nalbandian is gone. The atmosphere in the Argentinian locker room is no longer poisonous. The perfect emblem for the transformation was Argentinas semifinal win in September against Andy Murray and his British cohorts. Del Potro handed Murray one of the very few losses he suffered this fall, and Leonardo Mayer gamely quelled a British fight-back, clinching in the final match.The final will be challenging. In some ways, Croatias No. 1 Marin Cilic is a mirror image, as well as a good friend and generational peer, of del Potros. They are both 6-foot-6, 28-year-old former US Open champions with bone-jarring serves and atomic forehands. Cilic is ranked a career-high No. 6, but he was overwhelmed in the World Tour Finals, winning just one match. Hes 2-8 against del Potro and hasnt beaten him since 2011.Now that del Potro has logged more wins, and his first title (in Stockholm) since 2014, hell be playing No. 1 for Argentina. His teammates have taken turns stepping up all year, but the Croatians have a truly unpredictable factor in 37-year-old ace machine Ivo Karlovic. Hes blasted his way to No. 20 in the rankings despite his age. The indoor hard court in Zagreb is said to be fast, which will surely help Karlovic. Argentinas likely No. 2 is No. 41 Federico Delbonis.As hosts with higher-ranking players, Croatia clearly will be the favorite, but many former players from Argentina can ruefully attest that doesnt mean all that much. Confidence, momentum and team spirit can count for a lot.This is no longer David Nalbandians team; it is Juan Martin del Potros. He has a long-deferred chance to step forward, out of Nalbandians shadow, to become a national hero. Cheap College Jerseys Free Shipping . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Cheap NCAA Jerseys . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. http://www.jerseyscollegecheap.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap USA College Jerseys . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Cheap College Jerseys Outlet . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Karnataka squad unchanged for Assam clashKL Rahul will not feature for Karnataka in their fourth-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam in Mumbai, starting on Thursday. Rahul, recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up during the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, is undergoing rehabilitation and is yet to go through a fitness test, according to the Karnataka State Cricket Association. With the first Test against England starting on November 9 in Rajkot, the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy was seen as an opportunity for all the members of the Test squad to regain match fitness, after a two-week break.Wriddhiman Saha will turn up for Bengal in their clash against Railways in Dharamsala. M Vijay, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, are all in the midst of a short NCA stint in preparation for the five-Test series against England.Vijay Shankar boost for Tamil NaduAllrounder Vijay Shankar is set to return to competitive cricket after an nine-month layoff. He passed a fitness test and will be available for selection in Tamil Nadus fourth match, against Madhya Pradesh in Cuttack. Vijay completed a two-month reehabilitation, following a surgery on his left knee, which he injured in July, before India As tour of Australia.ddddddddddddHe was subsequently withdrawn from both the limited-overs and four-day squads, and was replaced by Hardik Pandya.Delhi coach calls for Pant to temper his gameDelhi coach KP Bhaskar has called for more match awareness from Rishabh Pant, the seasons highest run-scorer so far. Pant, one of three triple centurions this season, made 24 and 9 in Delhis innings and 160-run loss to Karnataka last week. You cant play the same pattern in every pitch. Sometimes, there will be a pitch which is holding on, theres a green top, so the shot selection becomes very important, he said. Thats the hallmark of a good player. You cant just play in the same pattern and the same gear, you cant do that. Sometimes, the situation demands where you need to be a little choosy. As I said, he is a stroke player, thats the way he plays. Sometimes you connect, and law of averages had to catch up with him. ' ' '