David Nalbandian Urges Davis Cup Team Unity

Written by: Staff on 7th February 2013

David Nalbandian Urges Davis Cup Team Unity

epa03322335 Argentina's David Nalbandian returns the ball to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic during their first round match of the Olympic Tennis Tournament, 28tJuly 2012, at Wimbledon's All England Club, in London, Britain. EPA/JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO |

Argentina’s David Nalbandian is one of the most committed Davis Cup players in history, earning himself a recent Davis Cup Commitment Award and compiling an impressive 38-11 record. But the former top 5 player isn’t known around the tour as terribly easygoing guy and in his now 11 years with a team in which he has played 25 ties, he is urging unity.

This when the Cordoban has been in conflict with top Argentine player Juan Martin Del Potro in previous years. Del Potro has decided not to play Davis Cup this year for a variety of reasons, some having to do with not wanting to overschedule, some having to do with not wanting to play for captain Martin Jaite and according to the Argentine press, another having to do with his poor relationship with Nalbandian.

But it appears as if Nalbandian is publicly extending an olive branch to Del Potro, telling Clarin that “Juan Martin is an extremely important player for the team, no doubt about that. Not being able to count on him now is a shame. Argentina has a better chance to win if he plays. Everybody knows that. [Our] relationship is a relationship between teammates. [On tour] I have more of a relationship with him than I do with other players but he’s just another teammate. I respect his decision because everybody shapes their own career as they want. I made a different choice. But we’re not all the same, this is the kind of career where each and everyone chooses the path they want and they like best”

With every tie that Argentina plays, there seems to be some kind of conflict, or at least the appearance of conflict – even this time around.

After Argentina shut out Germany at home last weekend, its players and captain were asked whether they had received notes of congratulation from Del Potro

“No I haven’t received anything but I’m not sure about the [players],’ said captain Martin Jaite.

“I haven’t either,” said Nalbandian.

“Who?” asked Horacio Zeballos, who appeared to be taking a shot at Del Potro, but then later said he was misunderstood.

Del Potro did later tweet: “Congratulations to the players, captains and technical team for the victory over Germany.”

Nalbandian said after the tie that conflict has been a way of life for the squad that they have to try to get over it.

“ Among the players and within the teams there are always differences,” Nalbandian said. “Small ones or big ones, from something important to the training schedule, because someone would like to train earlier or later. It’s stupid. I’ve had 5 different captains and I must’ve had 15 different teammates. And you always have one, who likes one thing and another, who likes something else. Everybody has their moods, their personality, their stuff.

There are always differences, that’s the way it is. I always say that if you want to win it the Davis Cup has to be above all differences, whether big or small. If not, then it’s impossible to win it. You’ll never have a team of four, five, six players where everybody agrees to train at the same hour, to eat the same food at the same time. Because we’re not used to that, to being on a team. Davis Cup has to be above those issues.”

Nalbandian has helped Argentina reach the final on three occasions, but it has yet to win the title. He says that in reality, whether the team gets along doesn’t necessarily matter. If Argentina if finally able to raise the Cup, all will be forgotten.

“The secret is to win,” he said. “We can all be fighting but if you still win, you win. We can all be close friends and if you lose, you go to the Zonal Group. We get together on Sunday evening [for meetings]. If we couldn’t get together some day but still played on the weekend and won who would say that not getting together is bad?

©Daily Tennis News Wire

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