Argentina Beats Spain 3-2 to Defend FIP Senior World Cup Men's Title

Argentina beat Spain 3-2 in the FIP Senior World Cup men's final on Saturday, defending the title in front of a home crowd at Parque Roca in Buenos Aires.

How the final went

Spain drew first blood in the +60 rubber, where Pablo Semprun and Luis Menendez beat Alejandro Novillo and Alejandro Lasaigues 6-3, 6-3. Argentina had already banked the opening point, though, after Tito Allemandi and Agustin Gomez Silingo routed Enric Sanmarti and Gerard Company 6-1, 6-1 in the +40 category.

Spain leveled again when Willy Lahoz and Antonio Ochoa edged Roby Gattiker and Bebe Auguste 6-4, 6-4 in the +55 bracket, and Argentina answered right back in the +50 category as Fernando Poggi and Ramiro Nanni beat Raul Arias and Pitu Losada 6-3, 6-2.

The deciding rubber

With the tie at 2-2, everything came down to the +45 category. Miguel Lamperti and Cristian Gutierrez closed it out for Argentina, beating Aday Santana and Javi Limones 6-4, 6-3 to seal the 3-2 win and the title.

What it means

It's Argentina's second straight men's title and its first one won at home, since this was the first time the FIP Senior World Cup has been staged in South America. Spain split the finals in Buenos Aires: its women's team beat the United States for the women's crown, while the men fell just short in the decider.