AUSTRALIA PREPARE FOR 'TOUGH' UNITED CUP TEST AGAINST ARGENTINA

Australia and Argentina are set to lock horns in a "tough" clash to open up the Sydney night sessions for the United Cup.

In front of what is expected to be a near-sell-out crowd, Olivia Gadecki will take on Nadia Podoroska before newly minted top-10 player Alex de Minaur takes on Tomás Martín Etcheverry. Reigning Olympic gold medalist Matthew Ebden will then team up with Ellen Perez to form a strong mixed doubles team against an Argentinean team missing its top doubles stars.

While Australia enters the tie as favourites, de Minaur and Gadecki have losing records against their opponents, which they are determined to overturn on their home ground.

"She's a tough player, and it's going to take quite a bit to beat her," Gadecki said when talking about Podoroska. "I think I've got the game and the ability, so I'm really looking forward to it."

For de Minaur, the opportunity to return to one of his most successful hunting grounds was too good to pass up.

"It's no secret it's one of my favourite courts to play on. It probably has to do with me growing up, training here at Homebush, watching at that stage the Apia International, watching the matches, the players playing on that court, and wishing to compete on that court one day."

Etcheverry also recognises the threat that de Minaur poses on his home court, especially on the back of a career-best season.

"It's going to be tough, of course," he said. "Now he's top-10 in the world. He’s improved a lot.

"I have to play aggressively, and we are talking about that with my coach."

In a competition where many teams are evenly matched, the mixed doubles rubber looms as a potential point of difference for the Australians. Only Australia and Italy possess two top-20 doubles players in their line-up — and for Ebden and Perez — this is something they will be looking to use to their advantage.

"I think mixed doubles is sometimes a bit of a flip of the coin at times, but it's great to have played quite a few times with Matt," Perez said. "Matt has obviously done very well in doubles, in Grand Slams and mixed. To have that experience, to have that communication and friendship on the court, I think that's vital. I think we complement each other really well."

By contrast, the Argentinians lack any doubles players in the top-50, after their top-three doubles players, Horacio Zeballos (No.4 in men’s doubles), Andres Molteni (No.21 in men’s doubles) and Maximo Gonzalez (No.22 in men’s doubles), either chose not to sign up or withdrew from the event.

Although doubles specialist Guido Andreozzi would be the obvious choice to play alongside Podoroska, captain Horacio de la Pena, who revealed he is the former son-in-law of Australian tennis great Roy Emerson, was cryptic in the press conference about who would take on Ebden and Perez on Saturday night.

However, he indicated that Etcheverry might be substituted into the match, with fitness permitting.

"We're not sure who is going to play the last doubles," he said. "[Andreozzi] has to be ready because with Alex on the singles, probably [Etcheverry] is going to have to try to fight a lot."

The tie begins at 5:30pm at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday night.

Click here to watch the match live on Stan Sport, or watch live on Channel 9.