Last year's runners-up Australia crashed out of the Davis Cup when experienced doubles pair Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs went down in five sets to Guillermo Canas and Lucas Arnold.
The home pair won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 10-8 to seal the fate of the Australians who faced a monumental task after losing both of the opening singles on Friday. It was the first time in the history of the competition that Argentina had come up trumps against Australia.
In the quarter-finals they will face the winners of the tie between Croatia and Germany which stood 2-1 to Croatia after Saturday's play.
The doubles was held up by rain showers and finally went ahead with a persistent drizzle making play difficult.
The Australian pair got off to the better start pocketing the opening set 6-4. But with Arthurs in particular struggling with his service, the home team struck back to take a two sets to one lead.
In the fourth set both Arnold and Canas lost their serves as the Australians struck back to level two sets all.
The deciding set could have gone either way as it went the distance. But at 9-8, the Argentinians moved to three match points on the Arthurs serve.
The visitors saved the first, but Arthurs netted on the second to end the tie. "This has been the greatest day of my life," said Arnold while Canas said that the he felt the Argentina side could go further.
The Argentinians are back in the elite world group after a ten-year absence and were fortunate to come up against an Australian side deprived of top players Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter.
AFP