Spain look too strong
It had been billed as the battle of the claycourt heavyweights but the clash between Argentina and Spain in the Davis Cup semi-final next weekend is turning into a damp squib even before a ball is hit.
The tie in Malaga, Spain, had promised to be a slugfest between four top 10 players, however, the withdrawals of injured Argentines Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian has tipped the balance in favour of the hosts.
While French Open champion and newly-crowned world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero will spearhead the Spanish challenge, he will be ably aided in the singles by Carlos Moya, a former world number one now ranked sixth.
Argentina will be hampered by the absence of Coria and Nalbandian as the duo would have fancied their chances of leading the South Americans to their first title in the team competition.
World number five Coria has claimed four clay court titles this year while Nalbandian agonisingly missed reaching the U.S. Open final last week when he failed to convert a match point against eventual champion Andy Roddick in the semis.
"This is a very unhappy situation for me because I was really looking forward to playing in the Davis Cup," said a dejected Nalbandian, who is suffering from a back strain.
BACK-UP CREW
Argentina's back-up crew of Gaston Gaudio, Agustin Calleri, Mariano Zabaleta and Lucas Arnold will now have the task of steering their country into their first final since 1981.
"It is always difficult to play against the Argentines because they are very strong, especially on clay," said Ferrero, who was runner-up to Roddick at Flushing Meadows last Sunday.
"It will be difficult but we have a good team as well.
"We have the opportunity to be in final again and playing in Malaga we'll have the crowd supporting us."
With the Spaniards already looking to recapture the trophy they won for the first time in 2000, Australia -- winners 27 times -- are preparing to take on a Roger Federer-led Swiss team in the other semi-final.
[...]
It had been billed as the battle of the claycourt heavyweights but the clash between Argentina and Spain in the Davis Cup semi-final next weekend is turning into a damp squib even before a ball is hit.
The tie in Malaga, Spain, had promised to be a slugfest between four top 10 players, however, the withdrawals of injured Argentines Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian has tipped the balance in favour of the hosts.
While French Open champion and newly-crowned world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero will spearhead the Spanish challenge, he will be ably aided in the singles by Carlos Moya, a former world number one now ranked sixth.
Argentina will be hampered by the absence of Coria and Nalbandian as the duo would have fancied their chances of leading the South Americans to their first title in the team competition.
World number five Coria has claimed four clay court titles this year while Nalbandian agonisingly missed reaching the U.S. Open final last week when he failed to convert a match point against eventual champion Andy Roddick in the semis.
"This is a very unhappy situation for me because I was really looking forward to playing in the Davis Cup," said a dejected Nalbandian, who is suffering from a back strain.
BACK-UP CREW
Argentina's back-up crew of Gaston Gaudio, Agustin Calleri, Mariano Zabaleta and Lucas Arnold will now have the task of steering their country into their first final since 1981.
"It is always difficult to play against the Argentines because they are very strong, especially on clay," said Ferrero, who was runner-up to Roddick at Flushing Meadows last Sunday.
"It will be difficult but we have a good team as well.
"We have the opportunity to be in final again and playing in Malaga we'll have the crowd supporting us."
With the Spaniards already looking to recapture the trophy they won for the first time in 2000, Australia -- winners 27 times -- are preparing to take on a Roger Federer-led Swiss team in the other semi-final.
[...]
