Spain and Argentina set to clash in Seville

Written by: Staff on 28th November 2011

Spain and Argentina set to clash in Seville

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (L) talks with Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro (R) at the end of the training session of the Spanish team at the Olympic Stadium in Seville, southern Spain, 28 November 2011, ahead of the 2011 Davis Cup final against Argentina that will take place next weekend. EPA/JULIO MUNOZ |

(Courtesy of ITF – www. itftennis.com)

Rafael Nadal leads a full strength Spanish team into battle against Argentina in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final, which takes place in the Olympic Stadium in Seville on 2-4 December.

The world No. 2 is joined by David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, which is the same line-up that clinched Spain’s last Davis Cup triumph in 2009 when Czech Republic were their opponents in the Final. Juan Martin del Potro has been tasked with leading the Argentine challenge alongside Juan Monaco, Juan Ignacio Chela and David Nalbandian, in what is also a full strength side.

Nadal and Ferrer are expected to form Spain’s singles duo, leaving Lopez and Verdasco to team up in the doubles rubber. The left-handed pair is a vastly experienced partnership when it comes to Davis Cup having played together 12 times in the past. Argentina’s captain Tito Vazquez, has a more difficult decision to make. Will he pick the in-form Juan Monaco, ranked No. 26, or the experienced David Nalbandian, ranked No. 64 as his second singles player behind del Potro, who is currently on a fivematch winning streak in Davis Cup singles.

Monaco finished runner-up at the recent tournament in Valencia and then reached the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters. Nalbandian, on the other hand, hasn’t been showing his best form of late, but is always the man for the big occasion when it comes to Davis Cup. It is also uncertain who Vazquez will choose as his doubles pairing, Chela is Argentina’s highest ranked doubles player named in the team and is likely to be called upon, but both Monaco and Nalbandian are possible partners.

Spain are chasing their fifth Davis Cup crown. They lifted the famous old trophy for the first time in 2000 and then went on to lift it another three times in the same decade, with further wins in 2004, 2008 and 2009. Argentina are still chasing their first ever Davis Cup title having fallen at the final hurdle on three previous occasions, in 1981, 2006 and 2008. Only India and Romania can equal this unwanted record of having contested three Finals without success, but the Argentines will be desperate to set the record straight in Seville.

The official Davis Cup websites DavisCup.com and CopaDavis.com will feature live scoring, text commentary, match reports, photos and audio interviews throughout the Final.

Topics: Juan Martin Del Potro, Rafael Nadal