The relentless Latin American baseliners destroyed Australia 5-0 the last time the countries clashed in the men's team competition in 2002.
That match, however, was on power-sapping Buenos Aires clay and Australia were under-strength and out of their depth.
This time, with a semi-final spot at stake, Australia have the advantage of a home grass court and the talismanic Lleyton Hewitt back in their ranks.
The Argentine team of Guillermo Coria, David Nalbandian, Gaston Etlis and Mariano Puerta were the first to fire a psychological volley in the run-up to this grudge match when they claimed the transportable grass court at the Sydney International Tennis Centre was a slow surface, suited to their baseline play.
Hewitt, who thrashed Nalbandian in the 2002 Wimbledon final was quick to bite back. "Anything looks slow if you've got two guys hitting from four metres behind the baseline," he quipped, snapping at their methodic style.
There is no love lost between the teams.
Hewitt upset the Argentines at the Australian Open in January with his aggressive on-court gesturing and shouting.
Juan-Ignacio Chela became so incensed by Hewitt's antics that he spat in his direction, incurring a fine.
Nalbandian had also criticised the Australian before losing their quarter-final meeting -- a match during which he appeared to shoulder-barge Hewitt at a change-of-ends.
BIG POINT
Nalbandian has been playing it cool in Sydney. "It's between Argentina and Australia," he said, refusing to be drawn into a grudge match with Hewitt.
Australian captain John Fitzgerald was quick to defuse any simmering ill-feeling. He said Hewitt's shouting and gesturing were not designed to distract an opponent.
"Its never timed in his mind to be detrimental to anybody. If he wins a point at a big point in the match, you can expect it. I think the crowd feeds off it."
Only the United States with 31 titles have won more than Australia.
Argentina's best result was a runner's-up spot in 1981.
The winner of the Sydney tie could afford to be confident of reaching December's final, with the unheralded Netherlands or Slovakia lined up in the semi-finals.
The Slovaks upset defending champions Spain in the opening round but have never reached a semi-final.
"This is the first quarter-final we will have played at home and that should help us," Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty said.
"But we cannot underestimate the Dutch, even though their singles players are below us in rankings. We have to concentrate on every match."
The Dutch team will be without Sjeng Schalken, who was central to their defeat of Switzerland in the first round, but team spirit was still high.
"We have players that can motivate themselves at the right time," captain Tjerk Bogtstra said. The Dutch are looking to reach the last four for the second time, having made their first semi-final appearance in 2001.
TOOTHLESS RUSSIA
A toothless Russia will have its work cut out when stylish France take to the indoor claycourt at their Moscow Olympic Stadium.
The hosts are without Marat Safin who is taking four weeks off to let a knee inflammation heal and may now be without their second-best player Nikolay Davydenko with a wrist injury.
"Nikolay will be ready to play on Friday," insisted Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev.
After celebrating Russia's Fed Cup semi-final triumph over the U.S. last weekend, Tarpischev is looking to become the first captain of any nation to steer his country to Fed Cup and Davis Cup success in the same year.
However, Davydenko was less certain. "The doctors have said it needs a few more days of rehabilitation. I should be fit to play Friday but we'll see."
Mikhail Youzhny, who will play number one for Russia if Davydenko fails to make it, won the cup for Russia in Paris against France in 2002 with an heroic comeback from two-sets down in the decisive rubber.
He says the tie is tight. "I tell you," he said, "I think everybody from our team and everybody from the French team can beat everybody in this match."
Waiting in the semi-finals will be Croatia or Romania.
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