Rafael Nadal Leads Spain Into Davis Cup Final

Written by: Staff on 2nd December 2011

Rafael Nadal Leads Spain Into Davis Cup Final

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Argentinian Juan Monaco in the first match of the Tennis Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina at Olympic stadium in Seville, southern Spain, 02 December 2011. Nadal won 6-1, 6-1 and 6-2. EPA/JULIO MUNOZ |

Tennis Channel will provide exclusive coverage of Spain and Argentina’s Davis Cup championship competition in Seville, Spain, this weekend with live and same-day “Instant Encore” replays Friday through Sunday. The countries find themselves competing in a rematch of the 2008 final. Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal will lead his nation as it plays for its fifth title overall and first crown since 2009.

The year-ending championship competition between Spain and Argentina will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Dec. 2, at 8 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Dec. 4, at 7 a.m. ET. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points winning the Davis Cup title.

Coverage from Olympic Stadium, Seville, Spain (all times ET):

Friday, Dec. 2:

8 a.m. – Live Singles #1

11 a.m. – Live Singles #2

{2 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

{5 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

Saturday, Dec. 3:

{7 a.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

10 a.m. – Live Doubles

{1 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

{4 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

Sunday, Dec. 4:

7 a.m. – Live Singles #1

10 a.m. – Live Singles #2

{2 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

Spain hopes to uphold its unbeaten Davis Cup record of 3-0 against Argentina. The most recent competition was during the 2008 Davis Cup final, when Spain won 3-1 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Spaniards enter this weekend’s championship after defeating France 4-1 in Spain during the semifinals. Spain has not lost a Davis Cup match on home soil since 1999, and has dominated the past decade with Davis Cup championships coming in 2000, 2004, 2008 and, most recently, 2009 when it defeated the Czech Republic 5-0 in Barcelona, Spain.

The Spanish team is captained by former player and tennis star Albert Costa, and features the same members who won the 2009 Davis Cup title: Nadal, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez. Nadal currently holds ten Grand Slam singles titles, most recently winning his sixth Roland Garros crown of the past seven years during the 2011 French Open.

Argentina enters the competition after a 3-2 semifinal victory over Serbia, and is chasing its first Davis Cup title after appearing in the 1981, 2006 and 2008 finals. Argentina is captained by Tito Vazquez and features 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, David Nalbandian, Juan Monaco and Juan Ignacio Chela.

Topics: Davis Cup Final, Rafael Nadal