Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske secured the tie-winning point for defending champions Germany over Argentina Tuesday, in a repeat of last year�s ARAG ATP World Team Championship final. Kohlmann and Waske defeated David Nalbandian and Sebastien Prieto 6-3, 6-3 for Germany�s second round-robin victory in the Red Group. The result leaves Argentina 0-2 this week.

Last week�s ATP Masters Series Hamburg semifinalist, Jose Acasuso, got the South Americans off to a cracking start with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1) over Waske.

Waske, who had previously beaten Acasuso in Stuttgart last year, was unable to build upon the momentum of winning the first set as rain suspended play at 6-4, 3-3.

Afterwards Waske said: �It was a tough match. I think I could have won, if one or two shots would have been different. It was great fun to play a singles match for Germany.

In the second singles rubber, Nicolas Kiefer made light work of Argentine Gaston Gaudio, ranked just three places higher than Kiefer in the INDESIT ATP Rankings.

The No. 13 didn�t disappoint the German crowd at the Rochusclub, beating Gaudio 6-2, 6-3 in 74 minutes.

Kiefer, who recorded his 11th victory at the World Team Championships since making his debut in 1998, said: �Of course I�m happy with this win. I played aggressively and kept to it, simply great.�

Meanwhile Gaudio, who now has a 13-10 record on clay in 2006, said: �I�m struggling with my tennis. Definitely I�m playing the worst tennis ever.

"The opponent doesn�t matter, I�m playing so bad. This will of course affect my confidence. It�s the worst situation getting to the French Open and playing like this."

With the scoreline at 1-1 in the seventh meeting between the two nations, Kohlmann and Waske won the tie for Germany in just one hour.

On Thursday, Germany play the Czech Republic for a place in Saturday�s final while Argentina contest their final match of round-robin action in the Red Group against Italy.